In Vitro Antioxidant activity of chloroform and Ethanolic fruit and root extracts of Carissa Carandas Linn.

Carissa carandas (L.) belonging to the Apocynaceae family and it is represented about 89 species in India. Many plants of this family are the sources of important constituents of therapeutic importance. It naturally grows in the Himalayas at a height of 300 to 1800 meters in the Siwalik Hills from sea level and require fully exposure to sun and unfavorable to humidity. Out of the 8 Indian species, 3 are of economic importance and good medicinal values. The high value of total phenolic and total flavonoid content in the CFCC, CRCC, EFCC and ERCC may be responsible for its free radical scavenging activity. DPPH is a stable free radical at room temperature and accepts one electron or hydrogen radical to become a stable diamagnetic molecule. The reduction in the number of DPPH molecules can be correlated with the number of available hydroxyl (−OH) groups. The antioxidant activities of the chloroform, ethanolic fruit and root extracts of C. carandas may be probably due to the presence of compounds with hydroxyl groups.