Investigating total flavonoid content and antioxidance of ethanol extracts from Ruellia simplex C.WRIGHT

Abstract

This study investigated the natural compounds with biological activity in Ruellia simplex C.Wright flower such as steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids, etc. The total flavonoid content as well as the antioxidant capacity of two ethanol extracts (E96 and E80) extracted from Ruellia simplex C.Wright flower were also studied. Results indicated that Ruellia simplex C.Wright flowers contained flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and terpenoids, but not steroid or saponin compounds. Total flavonoid content in E96 and E80 were 7.13 and 0.98 mg QE/g extract, respectively. The antioxidant capacity studied by DPPH free radical neutralization method showed that the percentage of 50% inhibition of DPPH free radicals (IC₅₀) of E96 and E80 were 0.089 and 0.242 mg/mL, respectively. The reference standard was ascorbic acid (IC₅₀=0.02 mg/mL).