Antioxidant activity of Malpighia glabra L., leaves extract

Abstract

Malpighia glabra. L (Acerola) fruits have wide global medicinal uses due to rich antioxidant contents. Little studies were carried on other parts of plant. Malpighia glabra. L leaves (1.5 kg) was subjected to soxhlet exhaustive extraction with methanol and concentrated under vacuum. The dried extract was defatted with petroleum-ether then fractionated with ethyl acetate & n-butanol 3 successive times respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction (9 gm) was subjected to series of silica gel & Sephadex (LH-20) column chromatography. Phytochemical investigation of the Ethyl acetate fraction of Malpighia glabra. L leaves in this study resulted in separation of four pure compounds (Caffeic acid, Chlorogenic acid, Quercetin & Kaempferol). The structures of the separated compounds were assigned based on NMR spectral data and mass spectrometer analysis. The methanolic extract showed high values of total phenolics (96.36 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (30.71 mg QE/g) and higher antioxidant activity towards DPPH radical with IC50 = 49.8(mg/ml).