FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING POTENTIAL OF THE LEAVES OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA L.: AN IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANT

R A Sharma*, Monika Goswami, Ankita Yadav and Richa Bhardwaj

Withania somnifera L. is a well known plant in Ayurveda and Unani medicine. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of leaves of W.somnifera. The extract was subjected to assess its radical scavenging activities using the systems such as 1, 1–diphenyl, 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), Superoxide scavenging, 2, 2’–azinobis, 3-ethyl-benzothiozline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), Nitric Oxide and Iron chelating activity. The extract showed best activity in scavenging of ABTS as it showed the lowest IC50 values(42.21 µg/ml) as well as potently scavenged the DPPH radical(44.25 µg/ml). The antioxidant property depends upon concentration and increased with increasing amount of plant fraction. The results of the study showed that leaves of W.somnifera possess significant antioxidant activity. Owning to these results, the plant has the potential to be used as a medicine against free radical associated oxidative damage.