Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria; Phytomedicine Research Center, Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
Sunmonu, T.O., Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria; Afolayan, A.J., Phytomedicine Research Center, Department of Botany, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South Africa
Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd. is widely used in South African traditional medicine for the treatment of many ailments and diseases. In this work, aqueous extract of the plant was screened for its phenolic profile and antioxidant activity. The results obtained revealed that the extract has considerable amount of polyphenolic compounds including phenol, flavonoid, flavonol and proanthocyanidin. The extract also exhibited significant inhibition of DPPH and ABTS radicals as well as ferric reductive ability in a concentrationdependent manner. These are indications of antioxidant activity of A. afra which could be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds; and the data compared well with those of known standards like BHT, rutin and vitamin C. This study has, to some extent, justified the folkloric use of the herb in traditional medicinal practice of South Africa. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2012.
1,1 diphenyl 2 picrylhydrazyl; 2,2' azinobis(3 ethylbenzothiazoline 6 sulfonic acid); antioxidant; Artemisia afra extract; ascorbic acid; butylcresol; flavonoid; flavonol; phenol; plant extract; polyphenol derivative; proanthocyanidin; rutoside; unclassified drug; antioxidant activity; Artemisia; Artemisia afra; article; concentration response; controlled study; drug isolation; drug screening; nonhuman; plant leaf; Artemisia afra