Antioxidant activity of Aporosa lindleyana root

Four successive and two crude extracts of Aporosa lindleyana Baill. root were tested for antioxidant activity using standard in vitro and in vivo models. The successive methanol and ethyl acetate and crude 50% methanol extracts showed antioxidant activity with IC50 values 3.51 +/- 0.27, 6.09 +/- 1.00 and 7.34 +/- 0.46 mu g/ml, respectively, in DPPH method. In the nitric oxide radical inhibition method, the successive ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and methanol extracts showed antioxidant activity. The successive methanol extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight administered for 5 days prior to CCl4 treatment caused a significant increase in the levels of catalase and SOD and a significant decrease in the level of TBARS in liver, kidney and blood, when compared to CCl4 treated control. These results indicate strong antioxidant nature of Aporosa lindleyana root. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies against normal Vero cell lines indicate non-toxic nature of the root extracts. The study provides a proof for the ethnomedical and reported biological activities. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.