Free radical scavenging activity of selected medicinal plants of Eastern Botswana.

Water and methanol extracts from roots of Ozoroa paniculosa (Anarcardiaceae); seeds of Colophospermum mopane (Caesalpiniaceae) and Cucumis metuliferus (Cucurbitaceae) ripe fruits were assessed for in vitro antioxidant activity. Free radical scavenging activity was measured spectrophotometrically as maximum fading power of DPPH at 525 nm. Water and methanol extracts of Ozoroa paniculosa exhibited higher scavenging potency than extracts of either Colophospermum mopane or Cucumis metuliferus at all tested concentrations. None of the extracts from Cucumis metuliferus exhibited any recognizable free radical scavenging activity. Above 50 microg mL(-1) both water and methanol extracts of Ozoroa paniculosa exhibited 91% scavenging activity similar to the control compounds L-ascorbic acid (91%) and (-) epicatechin (92%). Between 50-100 microg mL(-1), water and methanol extracts of Colophospermum mopane exhibited scavenging potency of < or = 70%. However, above 100 microg mL(-1), both water and methanolic extracts of C. mopane exhibited scavenging activity > 70%. Chloroform extracts of all the tested plants showed poor scavenging activity (< 30%). The order of scavenging potency for the tested samples was as follows: L-ascorbic acid > or = epicatechin > O. paniculosa (methanolic extract) > O. paniculosa (water extract) > O. paniculosa (ethylacetate extract) > C. mopane (methanolic extract) > C. mopane (water extract) > all extracts of C. metuliferus. These findings lend credence to the use of these plants as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents in folk medicine.