Abstract

PUERTAS-MEJIA, Miguel A; GOMEZ-CHABALA, Luisa; ROJANO, Benjamín  and  SAEZ-VEGA, Jairo A. In vitro antioxidant capacity of fractions from Piper peltatum L. leaves. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.2. ISSN 1028-4796.

INTRODUCTION: medicinal plants have been studied for decades because of their potential use as sources of substances with biological properties. Piper peltatum L. has many medical applications, hence the need of ascertaining its eventual antioxidant capacity. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the antioxidant action of non-alcoholic extracts from P.peltatum leaves. METHODS: dry powered leaves were subjected to column chromatography, thus obtaining three fractions. The antioxidant potential was determined based on the reducing capacity as measured by FRAP assay (ferric reducing ability of plasma) and the trapping capacity of stable radical 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH assay). RESULTS: although all the evaluated samples showed good antioxidant capacity in comparison to the applied methods, fraction #1 was the most promising, being more efficient than ascorbic acid (radical DDPH inhibition; 75 and 68 % respectively). CONCLUSIONS: the data provided in this study proved that all the evaluated samples had antioxidant properties, all of which endorses the traditional use of P. peltatum for treatment of several skin diseases and other kind of ailments.

Keywords : Piper peltatum; natural antioxidants; DPPH assay; FRAP assay; phenolic compounds; non-polar extract.

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