Untitled

Abstract

Plants are the important constituents of folk and traditional medicines and fulfill nutrition and dietary needs from ancient times. The aim of this study to evaluate phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of seed oil of wild apricot (Prunus armeniaca L). Thenon-cultivated seed of wild Prunus armeniaca L. from the Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India was analyzed for its phytochemicals e.g., total phenols, tannins, and total alkaloids by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, Folin-Denis reagent, and solvent extraction method, respectively. Antioxidant activity of seed oil was determined by DPPH, reducing power assay and nitric oxide scavenging method. Results obtained showed that seeds of P. armeniaca contain tannins (6.47 %), total phenols (0.27%), a total alkaloid (0.22 %). P. armeniaca seed oil showed significant antioxidant activity when analyzed by DPPH, reducing power assay, and nitric oxide free radical scavenging method. Moreover, the IC 50 value of seed oil from DPPH, reducing power and nitric oxide assays were 0.1, 0.5, and 0.5 mg/ml and % scavenging activity range 24.12-84.82% respectively. These studies clearly show that P. armeniaca seed oil has significant potential as a natural antioxidant. INTRODUCTION:Plants are the natural source of medicines mainly due to the presence of secondary metabolites and have been used as medicine in crude extract form. They have also been used to isolate the bioactive compounds in modern medicine and herbal medicine systems 1, 2 .