Assessment of anti-oxidant activity of Ficus benghalensis leaves: an In-vitro design

Background: Medicinal plants represent a rich source of natural anti-oxidants. The traditional medicine involves the use of different plant extracts of bioactive constituents. Ficus benghalensis is a large evergreen tree found throughout India. It is commonly called Banyan tree. It is used in traditional system of medicine like Ayurveda and homoeopathy. Ficus is a huge tropical deciduous or evergreen tree with more than 800 species. Objective: Anti-oxidant effect of ethnomedicinal important plant species Ficus benghalensis (Family-Moraceae) was screened. The aim of this study was to assess the in-vitro potential of methanolic extract of Ficus benghalensis leaves as a natural anti-oxidant. Method: Assessment of in vitro anti-oxidant activity of methanolic leaves extract of Ficus benghalensis was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Results: The methanolic extract of Ficus benghalensis leaves demonstrates a remarkable amount of phenolic content (54 μg/ml of GAE/100gm of extract) by using Folin-ciocalteu reagent. In-vitro anti-oxidant activity of methanolic leaves extract of Ficus benghalensis was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, which showed significant anti-oxidant activity compared to standard anti-oxidant (ascorbic acid). A direct correlation between total phenol and anti-oxidant activity indicates polyphenols are the main anti-oxidants. Conclusion: These findings suggest the excellent medicinal bio-activity of Ficus benghalensis and explain the popularity of this plant in the folk medicine as a remedy for different disorders, thus supporting its folklore application as preventive remedy as an anti-oxidant. The present study shows that Ficus benghalensis leaves have radical scavenging activity and can be considered as good sources of natural anti-oxidants for medicinal and commercial uses. Keywords: Ficus benghalensis, anti-oxidant, DPPH scavenging activity, Folin-ciocalteu reagent.