STUDY OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF FORMONONETIN BY IN VITRO METHOD

Objective: Now the important field of research in phytomedicine is to search a new plant source as well as new phytoconstituents that have fewer side effects and low cost with the free radical scavenging activity . Methods : Different in vitro models such as DPPH, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide radical, nitric oxide radical and superoxide radical scavenging activity were performed using different concentrations of formononetin ranging from 0.1-50 μg/ml. Results: Formononetin showed only 84.39% inhibitory activity against DPPH radical and it was found to be 16 % less than the butylated hydroxytoluene with the IC 50 value of 4.65 μg/ml concentration. In scavenging hydroxyl radicals, formononetin inhibited only 67.63% with the IC 50 value of 9.48 μg/ml concentration and it showed 12 % lesser inhibitory activity than standard alpha-tocopherol. Formononetin could able to scavenge maximum 73.53% of hydrogen peroxide radicals with the IC 50 value of 4.75 μg/ml and its activity of scavenging hydrogen peroxide were found to be 10 % less than the standard ascorbic acid. Formononetin showed 94.33 % nitric oxide radical inhibitory activity with the IC 50 value of 5.0 μg/ml and it showed 6% lesser activity when compared to standard quercetin. Formononetin showed 94.79 % activity against the scavenging of superoxide radical with the IC 50 value of 4.27 μg/ml. Superoxide inhibitory activity of formononetin was 5.3 %less than the standard quercetin. Conclusion: All these results suggested that, formononetin is a good natural antioxidant which is capable of scavenging almost all types of free radicals. So this could be used to treat various diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancers, the aging and cardiovascular disease which is being caused by free radicals.