In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Acetyl cholinesterase Activities of wild Ocimum Sanctum L. and Endangered HerP Swertia Chirayita (ROXP. EX Fleming) H. Karst

Abstract

Medicinal plants is the essence of today’s therapeutic culture. In the due course of time, it a great need to produce such therapeutic agents which has multidi mentional medicinal value. These medicines should have ability to cure oxidative stress related disorders which includes cognitive ailments, cancer etc., with no or lesser amount of side effects. The present study aims to analyze stem extracts of Swertia chirayita and Ocimum sanctum in various solvents to understand the ability to cure oxidative stress related disorders. The capability of extracts has been analyzed by total phenol, flavonoid content, antioxidant and anticholinergic activities.  Antioxidant activity of all extracts fractions was measured in terms of ABTS, DPPH and metal chelating properties (FRAP). Enzyme inhibitory properties was measured using AChE (Acetylcholinesterase). O. sanctum in methanol extract exhibited maximum content both in phenol (152.7±0.0004 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoid content (38.38±0.0085 mgQE/g DW). Maximum free radical scavenging activities was observed in O. sanctum through DPPH inhibition assay (IC₅₀ 12.55 µg/ml). Similarly in ABTS inhibition assay, total antioxidant level was IC₅₀ 41.8 µg/ml in methanolic extract of O. sanctum and in metal ion chelating assay, it showed 2.494 mg TE/g DW of the sample. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition was highest in methanolic extract of O. sanctum (IC₅₀ 12.066 µg/ml) followed by S. chirayita chloroform (IC₅₀ 15.86 µg/ml). The results suggest that the stem methanolic extracts of these two species possess natural antioxidants and anti-cholinergic potential, which may be beneficial for the ailment of neurodegenerative disorders.