Molecules 2009, 14(6), 2167-2180; doi:10.3390/molecules14062167
Article

Effect of Extraction Solvent/Technique on the Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts

Bushra Sultana 1 , Farooq Anwar 1 email and Muhammad Ashraf 2
1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan 2 Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 25 April 2009; in revised form: 27 May 2009 / Accepted: 11 June 2009 / Published: 15 June 2009
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Abstract: Theeffects of four extracting solvents [absolute ethanol, absolute methanol, aqueous ethanol (ethanol: water, 80:20 v/v) and aqueous methanol (methanol: water, 80:20 v/v)] and two extraction techniques (shaking and reflux) on the antioxidant activity of extracts of barks of Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, Eugenia jambolana, Terminalia arjuna, leaves and roots of Moringa oleifera, fruit of Ficus religiosa,and leaves of Aloe barbadensis were investigated. The tested plant materials contained appreciable amounts of total phenolic contents (0.31-16.5 g GAE /100g DW), total flavonoid (2.63-8.66 g CE/100g DW); reducing power at 10 mg/mL extract concentration (1.36-2.91), DPPH. scavenging capacity (37.2-86.6%), and percent inhibition of linoleic acid (66.0-90.6%). Generally higher extract yields, phenolic contents and plant material antioxidant activity were obtained using aqueous organic solvents, as compared to the respective absolute organic solvents. Although higher extract yields were obtained by the refluxing extraction technique, in general higher amounts of total phenolic contents and better antioxidant activity were found in the extracts prepared using a shaker.
Keywords: medicinal plants; extraction effect; total phenolics; total flavonoids; antioxidant activity

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Sultana, B.; Anwar, F.; Ashraf, M. Effect of Extraction Solvent/Technique on the Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts. Molecules 2009, 14, 2167-2180.

AMA Style

Sultana B, Anwar F, Ashraf M. Effect of Extraction Solvent/Technique on the Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts. Molecules. 2009; 14(6):2167-2180.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sultana, Bushra; Anwar, Farooq; Ashraf, Muhammad. 2009. "Effect of Extraction Solvent/Technique on the Antioxidant Activity of Selected Medicinal Plant Extracts." Molecules 14, no. 6: 2167-2180.

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