DETERMINATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF MEDICINAL FERN, BLENCHUM ORIENTALE

Medicinal value of pteridophytes has been known to man for more than 2000 years. B. orientale is an edible fern that is used as a food and in traditional medicine. This study assessed the total phenol content (TPC) and antioxidant activity by two different assays (DPPH and FRAP) of the 50% aqueous acetone extracts of B. oriental parts sampled from two selected location (UKM Fern Garden and Chini Forest). The extracts analyses were prepared from the young fronds, mature fronds, rhizome and fiddlehead of the sampling fern. ANOVA test at P < 0.05 determines significant differences between various parts extract. It was found the TPC of young frond extract of B. oriental had the highest contents (1360 and 1643 mg GAE/100g DW) in UKM Fern Garden and Chini Forest respectively. While the antioxidant activity of plant extracts by DPPH and FRAP assay value for all parts of B. oriantle was very high at both locations. It illustrated that there is strong antioxidant activity for all parts of plant, especially for Chini Forest and that correlate to diversity of climatic and geomorphological features. These findings provide scientific evidence to support its traditional medicinal importance which is potentially rich sources of natural antioxidants.