ASSESSMENT OF FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY AND ANTIOXIDANT MEDIATED HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF MALLOTUS ROXBURGHIANUS MUELL. IN DOXORUBICIN INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

The aim of this study was to investigate the phytochemical constituents and therapeutic potential of various solvent extracts of Mallotus roxburghianus both in-vitro and in-vivo. Free radicals scavenging activities of various extracts were determined in a cell free system and the hepatoprotective effects was investigated in doxorubicin induced oxidative stress in Swiss Albino mice by estimating various antioxidant activities using standard methodology. Different extracts of M. roxburghianus inhibited the generation of ABTS (2, 2’-azino-bis-(3- ethylbenzothiazoline- 6- sulfonic acid), DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and superoxide anions in a concentration dependent manner and the aqueous extract showed the highest scavenging activities with IC₅₀ of 87.38 ± 0.69 μg/ml, 3.24 ± 0.21 μg/ml and 92.65 ± 1.18 μg/ml for ABTS, DPPH and superoxide radicals, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed that aqueous extract possessed the highest phenolic (347.6 ± 2.9 mg GAE/g dry extract) and flavonoid (68.80 ± 0.11 mg quercetin/g dry extract) contents. The free radicals scavenging activity was significantly correlated with phenolic (r² = 1.00; p<0.001) and flavonoid (r² = 1.00; p<0.001) contents for various extracts. Aqueous extract was found to exhibit the highest reducing power and its anti-hemolytic activity was also observed to be the most potent among various extracts. Treatment of mice with aqueous extract of M. roxburghianus prior to doxorubicin administration significantly elevated the liver glutathione contents, and activities of glutathione-s-transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase followed by a decline in the doxorubicin-induced lipid peroxidation. Our study indicates that M. roxburghianus extracts scavenge different free radicals and the most potent aqueous extract possesses antihemolytic and hepatoprotective activities.