Antioxidant Potential and Cytogenotoxicity Activity of Methanol Extract of Asystasia vogeliana Benth Leaf

Abstract

Popoola et al. 3 reported that there is an increase in effectiveness of A. vogeliana in the treatment of leprosy, chronic fever, malaria and gonorrhea when combine with Senna alata (L.) Roxb leaves, Cymbopogon citratus Stapf leaves and fruit juice of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle. The phytochemical screening of the A. vogeliana revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, steroids, polyphenols, glycosides, anthraquinones, alkaloids, tannins, and reducing compounds 3,5 . In order, to ascertain the traditional usage, the in-vitro cytotoxicity studies of A. vogeliana along with Moringa oleifera Lam. and Andrographics paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall. Ex Nees was carried out against BGC-823 and HeLa cancer cell lines 3 . Also, studies have shown that A. vogeliana increased the farmed African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell) mortality rate compared to Tephrosia vogelli (Hook, F) and Adenia cissampeloides ((Planch. ex Hook.) Harms, due probably to the quantity and concentration of the phytochemical components present in the A. vogeliana leaf extract relative to other extracts 6 . Antioxidants are any molecule that possesses the ability to chelate or bind metal ions in redox reaction or molecule capable of neutralizing the negative effects of free radicals' cellular entity. Naturally, humans possessed well-coordinated antioxidant defense systems that protect the body generally against free radicals' damage. Kaliora et al. 7 stated that the antioxidant system essentially comprises of two main types, endogenous and exogenous, which function together to counteract free radicals for proper physiological function. Natural antioxidants obtainable from plant extracts and natural product derivatives are directly involved in neutralizing the free radicals generated through various metabolic processes. Such free radicals destroy many fundamental building blocks of all tissues such as lipids, proteins, RNA, DNA and mitochondria, and this could lead to the development of various health complications. Most of the degenerative diseases like