EVALUATION OF THE ANTIOXIDANTS AND ANTIDIABETICS POTENTIAL OF THE ETHYL ACETATE EXTRACT OF MARKHAMIA TOMENTOSA LEAF

Free radicals are generated in biological systems by pro-oxidative enzyme systems, lipid peroxidation, irradiation, inflammation, air pollutants. The generation of this free radicals induced oxidative stress which is associated with many degeneration diseases including atherosclerosis, vasospasms, cancer, trauma, stroke, hyperoxia, arthritis, heart attack, dermatitis, retinal damage liver injury and induction of apoptosis. Oxidative stress and diabetics are major health concern in the world, markhamia tomentosa, a traditional medicinal plant, has been used to treat various ailments, including diabetes, the use of traditional plants arise from the deduction that natural antioxidants cannot remediate the effects of free radicals completely, but with the need for the external sources of antioxidants. In this study, the evaluated potential antioxidants and the antidiabetic potentials of the Ethyl acetate extract of Markhamia tomentosa leaves was investigated in invitro. The fresh plant collected was carefully sorted out in order to remove unwanted materials such as sticks, unhealthy leaf and other weeds. The plant was sliced into pieces to reduce the surface area and air dried for 30 days under shade at room temperature and was powdered using a blender for solvent extraction. This was done to increase the surface area of the sample for an easy extraction process. Biochemical parameters include, total flavonoid content, 1,1-diphenyl, 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, percentage inhibition of lipid peroxidation, these are for the antioxidant potentials. The percentage inhibition of alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase activities were tested as index for antidiabetic potentials of the ethyl acetate extract of Markhamia tomentosa. For the antioxidants potential, the ethyl acetate extract of Markhamia tomentosa showed an increase in the total flavonoid content with increase in concentration with the highest concentration being 350ug/ml and at percentage of 0.415mg/g(QE), the ethyl acetate extract showed an increase in the DPPH radical scavenging activity with increase in concentration with the highest scavenging concentration being 200ug/ml and at percentage of 91.29%. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of the ethyl acetate extract of Markhamia tomentosa leaves decreases with increasing concentration and the highest scavenging effect being 91.25% at 50ug/ml concentration. The lipid peroxidation vi inhibition activity also exhibits highest inhibition at 50ug/ml at percentage of 18.85%, and decreases with increasing concentration. For the antidiabetic potential, the activity of alpha amylase activity was inhibited with increasing concentration, the highest inhibition was at concentration at 250ug/ml was 58.94%. The highest inhibition of alpha glucosidase activity decreases with increasing concentration of the ethyl acetate extract fraction of Markhamia tomentosa,the highest inhibition was at percentage of 86.11% and at a concentration of 50ug/ml. The results obtained for the ethyl acetate extracts of Markhamia tomentosa leaves are suggestive to contain high antioxidants and antidiabetic potentials that can be used for the treatment of diseases and conditions caused by free radicals.