ABSTRACT

The phytochemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Jicus

thonningii leaf were studied. The extract was screened for the presence of some phytochemicals.

Thereafter, the antioxidant activity was determined by evaluating reducing power, total

antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging activity, nitric oxide scavenging activity compared with

vitamin c and gallic acid. The results obtained showed that methanol extract of ficus thonningii

contains saponins, steroids, terpeniods and alkaloids. The reduction power result showed that the

methanol extract of Ficus thonningii leaf has a reductive activity, which increased proportionally

with the concentration. However, the reduction power of extract at 10O0g/ml (0.887±0.08) is

significantly lower (p<O.05) compared to vitamin c (1.542±0.0 1) and gallic acid (1.509±0.05) at

the same concentration. The total antioxidant activity shows a corresponding increase with

increasing concentration. The total antioxidant activity of the extract at 1000tg/ml which was

the highest concentration of the extract tested was (92.77±0.38)which is significantly lower

(p<O.05) compared to vitamin C (199.02±0.83) and gallic acid (267.45±2.41). The result of

DPPH scavenging activity of the extract at the highest concentration 10000tg/ml (84.09±0. 1)%

is significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to vitamin C (90.03±1.26)% and gallic acid

(91.34±1.6)%. The IC50for the %DPPH scavenging activity revealed that the methanol extract of

Ficus thonningii leaf (2.05tg/ml) scavenged free radical activity has no significant difference

(p<O.05) compared to vitamin c (1.67 g/ml), but the extract was significantly lower (p<0.05)

compared to gallic acid (1.70 pg/ml). For %nitric oxide scavenging activity, at the highest

concentration (l0000jtg/mL), the test extract gave a scavenging indication of (93.35±0.15)%

which is significantly lower (p<O.OS) compared to Vitamin C (99.42±0.08)%. The extract has

IC5o value of (1.91 tg/m1) compared to vitamin C (1 . 52j.tg/ml) for %Nitric oxide scavenging

activity.This could be ascribed to antioxidant phytochemicals discovered in the methanol extract

of the leaf ofjicus thonningii.