ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF SENECIO AMPLEXICAULIS KUNTH. ESSENTIAL OIL GROWING IN HIGH-ALTITUDE HIMALAYAN REGION

Rajendra Singh, Vivek Ahluwalia, Nitin Sati*

ABSTRACT

Objective: Senecio amplexicaulis Kunth. Syn Ligularia amplexicaulis DC (Asteraceae), a deciduous shrub found in north-west (Garhwal) Himalayas of Uttarakhand (India) was collected at an altitude of around 3000 m. Light pale yellow essential oil (0.66% w/v) of S. amplexicaulis Kunth., obtained by hydro-distillation of roots was evaluated for antioxidant potential. Methods: The antioxidant and free radical activity of S.amplexicaulis essential oil was investigated by assessing its effect on linoleic acid peroxidation and ability to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals. Results: The essential oil exhibited noticeable antioxidant activity in all the assays. The scavenging ability for DPPH free radicals was dose dependent with IC50 value of 81.6μg/ml. The oil inhibited 44.8% of the ABTS radical cations at 100μg/ml. The oil also exhibited concentration dependent effect on inhibition of lipid peroxidation. After 30h, essential oil produced 71% inhibition of lipid peroxidation at 100μg/ml, when compared to control. The antioxidant potential of essential oil was however low when compared to synthetic antioxidant, butylated hydroxy toluene. Conclusion: The present study reveals noticeable antioxidant potential of essential oil extracted from Senecio amplexicaulis Kunth. and suggests a need for further exploration.

Keywords: Senecio, lipid peroxidation, free radical, Asteraceae.