Effect of extraction solvents on antioxidant potential of Prosopis cineraria (L.) leaves

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioactivity profile, and to investigate the effect of three extraction solvents (acetone, methanol, aqueous) on the antioxidant activity of Prosopis cineraria (L.) leaf extract. P. cineraria leaves were characterized by their chemical composition and mineral profile. Higher phenolic content, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity could be obtained using acetone as solvent, followed by methanol and aqueous solution.The test plant material contained significant amounts of total phenolic content (6.84 +/- 0.18 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoids (3.56 +/- 0.78 mg CE/g) in the acetone extract. The DPPH free radical scavenger activity of P. cineraria leaf extract increased with increasing levels of highly fluctuating concentrations. The acetone extract showed the best DPPH free radical scavenger activity at the IC50 value (205.15 mg/ml) and also the highest total antioxidant capacity (4.98 +/- 0.89 mg AAE/g).