IN VIVO AND IN VITRO DETERMINATION OF TOTAL PHENOLS, ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN PLUCHEA LANCEOLATA OLIVER & HIERN.

The present investigation deals with the determination of in vitro antioxidant activity as well as the phenols and ascorbic acid content in in vivo (leaf, stem, root) and in vitro (unorganised static callus cultures) plant parts of Pluchea lanceolata. Unorganised static callus cultures (eighteen months old) were grown on MS medium supplemented with NAA (1.0 mg/l) and BAP (0.5 mg/l) using leaf explants. Antioxidant activity was analysed in terms of DPPH radical scavenging assay, total phenolic contents were estimated by folin ciocalteau phenol reagent method and ascorbic acid (vitamin c) was analysed by 2, 4-dichlorophenol indo-phenol dye method. Antioxidant potential was found to be maximum (93.55 %) in leaf parts and minimum in stem (54.74 %). Lower IC₅₀ value indicates high antioxidant activity which was maximum in stem (665.90±0.23) and minimum in leaf (123.37±0.16). Total phenols and ascorbic acid were also higher in in vivo tissues (leaf) as compared to in vitro tissues. In the present study excellent DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) was found in all extracts of plant. Antioxidant activity has been associated with development of reducing power. These primary findings showed that P. lanceolata possesses higher levels of phenolic and ascorbic acid constituents that are responsible for antioxidant activity.