BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS OF VACCINIUM MACROCARPON AND ITS ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY: AN IN-VITRO STUDY

Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) contain many bioactive compounds and have some biological activities and beneficial health properties. This study aimed to screen phytochemicals of cranberry fruits from the different solvent, to estimate the total phenolic and flavonoid content of cranberry fruits and their antioxidant effect in-vitro by DPPH, superoxide and nitric oxide radical scavenging assay. Phytochemical screening of various extracts such as aqueous, ethanol, chloroform, acetone and petroleum ether of cranberry fruit extracts, revealed the presence of flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, phenols, coumarins, terpenoids, and betacyanin. The cranberry extracts were evaluated for phenol and flavonoid content with Gallic acid (GA) and Quercetin (Q) as standard. The optimum yield of phenol and flavonoid content were found in ethanol fruit extract 13.07 mg Gallic acid Equivalents (GAE)/g and 9.02 mg Quercetin Equivalents (QE)/g of cranberry. The cranberry extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activities by DPPH (1,1– diphenyl -2- picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. Among five different solvents used, maximum antioxidant activity was found in ethanolic fruit extract (81.4%) followed by others. The IC₅₀ values of ethanolic cranberry extract in superoxide radical scavenging activity and Nitric oxide radical scavenging assay are 61.1 µg/ml and 54.7 µg/ml. The IC₅₀ values showed a strong antioxidant activity of the extracts. The powerful antioxidant effect attributed to the greater amount of phenol and flavonoid compound in the ethanolic cranberry extract.