ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL, PHYTOCHEMICALS AND MINERALS CONTENT OF ROOT EXTRACT OF Physalis angulata
Bawa Abubakar1, Yunusa Abdulqadir1 and Sambo Misbahu2
1Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State.
2Department of Biochemistry, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author: misbahusambo@gmail.com, 08031835607
ABSTRACT
The continuous increase in the shift of interest from synthetic drugs to medicinal plants as source of drug necessitates the screening of traditional plants (that grow in North-eastern Nigeria) for their antioxidant potential, phytochemicals and minerals content. This is an attempt to pave way for the scientific identification of plants with proven medicinal values. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the antioxidant potential, phytochemicals and minerals content of the root extract of Physalis angulata, which is a herb commonly found even along road sides in the rural areas of North-eastern part of Nigeria. The antioxidant potential, phytochemicals and minerals content were determined using standard methods. The results of the qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides and flavonoids. Quantitatively, the amount of the aforementioned phytochemicals was found to be 14.96+0.86% (alkaloids), 13.79+0.04% (terpenoids), 12.78+2.4% (saponins), 0.05+0.03% (glycosides) and 0.05+0.00% (flavonoids). The result of this research also showed that the extract contains magnesium (1101.50+2.12 ppm), sodium (407.20+0.42ppm), calcium (76.96+0.79ppm), zinc (4.95+0.07ppm), potassium (2.05+0.07ppm), manganese (1.84+0.05ppm), copper (1.10+0.14ppm), cobalt (0.63+0.04ppm) and selenium (0.20+0.01ppm). The result of the in vitro antioxidant activity of the terpenoid fraction showed that there was a dose dependent increase in the antioxidant activity as the concentration of the terpenoid is increased from 20 to 1000µg/ml. These results suggest that the extract may exert all the activities associated with the phytochemicals it contains, it may also serve as a source of minerals which are essential for maintenance and perpetuation of life found in it, and it may also serve as an antioxidant. However, it is suggested that in vivo experiments be conducted to test for the activities that the root extract is assumed to possess due to the phytoconstituents it contains (as revealed by this research).
Key words: Physalis angulata, Phytochemicals, Minerals, Drug, Antioxidant.
Key words: Physalis angulata, Phytochemicals, Minerals, Drug, Antioxidant.
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