HPTLC study to determine the antioxidant activity of dried leaves of Portulaca oleracea L.

Abstract

This present study involves the assessment of the anti-oxidant activity study of the sample which was obtained from the methanolic extracts of dried leaves of Portulaca Oleracea L.(common name Purslane). Purslane is a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin-C and some other B-complex vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and carotenoids which are known powerful natural anti-oxidants.  Anti-oxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation. This methanolic extract of leaves was evaluated for the determination of its anti-oxidant efficiency by using 1,1–diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) by using Silica TLC plates on Camag High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) system using visionCATS software. Densitograms and chromatographs obtained show the presence of anti-oxidant activity. It is a rapid, inexpensive and straightforward method to measure anti-oxidant properties of substances after separation by HPTLC. It involves the use of the free radical, 2, 2-Diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) which is widely used to test the ability of compounds to act as free radical scavengers or hydrogen donors and to evaluate anti-oxidant activity. When Anti-oxidants substances react with DPPH, which is a stable free radical becomes paired off in the presence of a hydrogen donor (e.g., a free radical scavenging anti-oxidant) and is reduced to the DPPHH. As a consequence, the absorbance's decreased from the DPPH.