IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT STUDIES ON COLONIAL ASCIDIANS EUDISTOMA VIRIDE AND DIDEMNUM PSAMMATHODES

Ascidians are rich source of novel bioactive agents as potential source of therapeutic drugs. Evaluation of antioxidant potential of ascidians, Eudistoma viride and Didemnum psammathodes extracts was undertaken. In DPPH radical scavenging assay E. viride II showed 34% to 93% scavenging activity and D. psammathodes II showed 45% to 96% scavenging activity in different ascidian concentrations. In reducing power assay the ascidian fraction E. viride II and D. psammathodes II showed 2.3 and 2.23 reducing power in 100µgmL^-1. In Hydroxyl (OH) radicals scavenging activities the ascidian E. viride II and D. psammathodes II showed high radical scavenging activity 96% and 98% at 100 µgmL^-1 concentration. In H₂O₂ scavenging assay the ascidians fractions E. viride II and D. psammathodes II showed 78% and 89% of at 100µgmL^-1 concentration. In nitric oxide radical scavenging activity, the ascidians fractions E. viride II showed 64% at 100µgmL^-1 and D. psammathodes II showed 72% at 100µgmL^-1 concentration. The finding throws light on the higher efficiency of scavenging activity of natural products improved to synthetic drugs. These results indicate that ascidian represent a promising biological resource for derivation of new compounds with antioxidant potential which was far reaching implication in biomedical research and therapeutics.