PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITIES OF STEM BARK EXTRACTS OF DREGEA VOLUBILIS (LINN. F.) BENTH EX. HOOK.F.

Over time, ethnomedicinal plants have been praised hugely for the presence of diverse pharmacologically active phytochemicals and have been used traditionally in primary medication to cure various human diseases or disorders. In the present study, different phytochemical constituents were analysed and free radical scavenging activities of Dregea volubilis stem bark (DvSB) extracts were assayed. Different in vitro scavenging tests such as DPPH· scavenging assay, O₂·^– scavenging assay, OH· scavenging assay and H₂O₂ scavenging assay were employed to estimate the free radical scavenging potentiality. Results revealed that methanolic extract had superior scavenging activity over the hot water extract. Qualitative analysis of phytochemicals showed the presence of reducing sugars, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, resins, glycosides, cardiac glycosides and steroids; and quantitative phytochemical analysis for polyphenols, flavonoids, flavonols, proanthocyanidins and alkaloids were made by standard procedures. Hence the study reveals that DvSB has significant scavenging properties, thus validating the ethnic usage for treating stress-related complications and restoration of good health.