Evaluation of antioxidant property and anticancer prospective of the leaf extract and biofractions of Bauhinia foveolata Dalzell – A native of the Indian Western Ghats

Abstract

The current study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer potential of ethanolic leaf extract of Bauhinia foveolata Dalzell. (EEBF) and its toluene, ethyl acetate and methanolic biofractions viz., TFBF, EFBF and MFBF. Phytoconstituents were screened by adopting established procedures. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were assessed spectrophotometrically. In vitro antioxidant activity was assayed using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide as free radicals, whereas anticancer activity was evaluated using sulforhodamine B assay. EEBF showed maximum phenolic content of 49.12±0.31 mg GAE/g and flavonoidal content of 28.75±0.42 mg QUE/g, than its biofractions. EEBF showed considerable antioxidant activity with IC50=19.04±0.24 μg/mL and IC50=65.85±1.22 μg/mL when compared to the standards Ascorbic acid (IC50=12.06±0.05 μg/mL) and Gallic acid (IC50=64.65±0.72 μg/mL) in DPPH and nitric oxide scavenging assays, respectively. MFBF showed significant activity with IC50=26.76±0.75 μg/mL in hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay compared to the standard Gallic acid (IC50=76.60±1.31 μg/mL). TFBF showed favourable growth inhibition of MCF-7 cells with GI50=73.5±11.96 µg/mL when compared to other samples screened (GI50>80 μg/mL) as against the standard Adriamycin (GI50<10 μg/mL) in SRB assay. The therapeutic virtues of EEBF and MFBF as free radical scavengers and TFBF as an antiproliferative may be attributed to the phenolics, flavonoids, steroids and triterpenoids present.