DOI: 10.21276/sasjm.2017.3.11.6

Pages: 318-322

Excessive Ultraviolet rays are detrimental to cells by damaging DNA. The time of exposure is more resulting in formation of more thymine dimers in the DNA and the greater the risk of an incorrect repair or a missed dimer. The antioxidant ability of Curcuma aromatica extract was analyzed in most reliable method like DPPH radical scavenging activity. The extract showed a promising result (65%) towards inhibiting DPPH radicals in comparison with other standard antioxidants like Ascorbic acid and Alpha tocopherol (71%) and (48%) at a highest dosage of g. Here, UV rays are used to damage the Calf thymus DNA and Ethanol: water extract of Curcuma aromatica was used to prevent the DNA damage induced by UV rays and also studied the non toxic nature of the extract in cytotoxicity studies, where alpha-tocopherol (400µM) and Ascorbic acid (400µM) are used as positive control. The extract at 15μl concentration was used against UV rays induced DNA fragmentation in agarose gel electrophoresis which provides same protection like other standard antioxidant alphatocopherol (400μM) and Ascorbic acid (400μM). The cytotoxicity studies showed that, the extract Ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol provides a protection of 50% and 70% respectively whereas, the extract of Curcuma aromatica 64%. In other words, the ethanol: water extract of Curcuma aromatica showed a better DNA protectant activity against UV rays induced DNA damage.