INVESTIGATION INTO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DEL. EXTRACT

Abstract

Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina Del.) is mainly distributed in Asia. In Vietnam, this plant is grown throughout the country, especially in the northern mountain areas of Cao Bang and Lao Cai. The bitter leaf has been widely used in traditional medicine for health promotion and human disease treatment. To evaluate the antioxidant activity of the bitter leaf ethanol extract, free radical scavenging assays were carried out, including DPPH and ABTS. The results indicated that alkaloids, flavonoids, reducing sugar, and organic acid were present in the extract. The DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities of bitter leaf extract were reflected via EC50 values, which were 360.2 ± 43.2g/mL and > 1mg/mL, respectively.