IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF Tetrapleura tetraptera ALKALOIDS

ABSTRACT

Tetrapleura tetraptera is used in Africa as a spice and in folk medicine. Its documented biological activities include molluscicidal, hypotensive, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycaemic and anti-microbial effects. T. tetraptera contains several phytochemicals including alkaloid which have been reported to have antioxidant activities. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro antioxidant scavenging potentials of T. tetraptera alkaloid. The objectives of this study was to investigate the in vitro antioxidant scavenging potentials of Terapleura tetraptera alkaloid extract on, total antioxidant power (TAP), 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). From the study alkaloid fraction of T. tetraptera was observed to scavenge ABTS at a percentage inhibition of (89.44%) as compared to the standard which had a higher percentage inhibition (98.09%) and DPPH at a percentage inhibition of (56.38%) as compared to the standard which had a higher percentage inhibition (57.25%), also had a TAP of 0.220 ± 0.006. These medicinal properties suggest that it can be considered as a good therapeutic agent in the management of oxidative stress.