Suvakanta . Dash1 
,
Lila Kanta Nath1,
Satish . Bhise2,
Nihar . Bhuyan1
For correspondence:- Suvakanta Dash Email: sdash777@sify.com
Published: 21 June 2005
Citation: Dash S., Nath LK, Bhise S., Bhuyan N.. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Heracleum nepalense D Don root. Trop J Pharm Res 2005; 4(1):341-347 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v4i1.3
© 2005 The authors.
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Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of the methanol extract of Heracleum nepalense D.Don roots.
Method: The antimicrobial effect was determined by agar dilution and disc diffusion method. The free radical scavenging potential was studied by using different antioxidants models of screening using vitamin E (5mM) as standard.
Results: The crude methanol extract of H.nepalense root was found to be active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. The ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the extract showed similar activity against these organisms. Similarly, the methanol extract at 1000 µg. ml-1 and the ethyl acetate fraction at 50 µg. ml-1 exhibited significant antioxidant activity in ferrous sulphate induced lipid peroxidation, 1,1- diphenyl- 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), Hydroxyl radical and Superoxide scavenging models.
Conclusions: The study confirms the possible antioxidant and antimicrobial potentiality of the plant extract. Presence of flavonoid alone or in combination with its other components could be responsible for the activity.
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