A comparative study of the in vitro antioxidant activities and some phytochemical properties of methanol and ethanol extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. roots

Abstract

Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn is a plant used in traditional medicine across the world for its ethnopharmacological value. This present study takes a look at the comparative study of the antioxidant activity and some phytochemicals in the ethanol and methanol extracts G. glabra L roots. In antioxidant activity: DPPH scavenging activity, Hydrogen peroxide radicals and thiobarbituric acid reactive species were determined and expressed in terms of standard used for the respective assay. The phytochemical contents of methanol and ethanol extracts of G. glabra are 116.27, 84.43mg of phenols, 2265.59, 1132 mg of flavonoids, 965.67 and 1740.58mg of Proanthocyanidin respectively. The % maximum scavenging activity of methanol and ethanol extracts are 28.83%, 29.68% for (DPPH), 77.51%, 78.92% for (H₂O₂) and 11.41%, 26.53% for (TBARS). The present data indicate that ethanolic extract has a higher scavenging capacity than methanol while the methanolic has higher phytochemical contents except for proanthocyanidin. In vitro method suggests that G. glabra is more powerful against hydrogen peroxide radicals.