Abstract

Manish Kumar, Subodh Kumar and Satwinderjeet Kaur*

Reactive oxygen (ROS) species have been known as a contributory factor in the etiology of cancer and various neurodegenerative diseases. ROS are produced as a result of normal metabolic processes occurring in the human body. Therapy using free radical scavengers have the potential to prevent, delay many disorders. The crude extracts and natural pure compounds from plants are reported to have antioxidant activity. Keeping this in mind, the chloroform fraction (KCF) and ethyl acetate fraction (KEA fraction) isolated from leaves of Koelreuteria paniculata (Sapindaceae) was investigated for its genoprotective potential against the DNA damage induced by Fenton’s reagent in pUC18 plasmid DNA. Further, the fractions were examined for their superoxide anion radical scavenging, 2, 2- Diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging and reducing power potential. The fractions significantly protected the DNA damage induced by the hydroxyl radicals generated by Fenton’s reagent. The KCF and KEA fractions scavenged the superoxide anions by 19.59% (EC50 = N.D) and 67.12% (EC50 167.59 µg/ml) respectively, DPPH radicals by 79.96% (EC50 121.98 µg/ml) and 86.04% (EC50 105 µg/ml) respectively; ABTS cation radicals by 87.63% (EC50 75.48) and 94.3% (EC50 62.12) respectively and showed reducing potential of 95.27% (EC50 60.94 µg/ml) and 80.03% (EC50 72.70 µg/ml) respectively.