DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2016.v04i06.004

Pages: 473-477

In this study, radical scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and methanol extracts of the stem bark of Pterocarpus erinaceus were investigated. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated with Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride colorimetric method respectively. Methanol extract showed the best antioxidant activity with the highest total flavonoid content (396.61±3.48 mgE Cat/1g DE) followed by n-butanol extract (263.63±5.44 mgECat/1g DE) and ethyl acetate extract (224.71±7.32 mgECat/1g DE). However, the n-butanol extract showed a highest phenolic content (490.03±4.02 mgEAA/1g DE) than the methanol extract (450.50±1.52 mgEAA/1g DE). These findings showed increase in antioxidant activity directly proportional to increase in extracting solvent’s polarity and flavonoid content.