Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Selim Pod (Xylopia Aethiopica)

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity of the selim pod (Xylopia aethiopica). Extracts of Xylopia aethiopica pods were investigated for their free radical scavenging activities in the presence of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), using ascorbic acid as the standard antioxidant. The result revealed that with an increase in the concentrations of the selim pod extract from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/ml, the free radical scavenging activity of the selim pod extracts also increased from 16.04 to 48.17%. The DPPH free radical scavenging activity of the selim pod is observed to be dose-dependent. The antioxidant activity of the extract of Xylopia aethiopica was examined and the results were compared to that of ascorbic acid which served as the standard. The percentage inhibition of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) at the concentration of Img/ml was 97.05% meanwhile that of selim pod at the same concentration, the inhibition recorded was 48.17%. Although the free radical scavenging activity is lower than that of ascorbic acid, notwithstanding, the result suggests that Xylopia aethiopica has potential antioxidant properties which could be exploited as a natural antioxidant for use in animal nutrition and the food industry.