Asian Journal of Advances in Research

Plants are the chief source of natural compounds used for medicine, in which medicinal plants have attracted considerable interest and most attention for their wide variety of bioactive metabolites. Numerous studies have been carried out to screen extracts from medicinal plants for the presence of novel compounds and an investigation of their biological activities. Annona squamosa Linn. has extensively been used in the traditional and folkloric medicine and found to possess many biological activities. This study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical screening and antioxidant activities of acetone, chloroform, hexane, methanol, Petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of Annona squamosa Linn. leaves. The antioxidant properties were determined by scavenging 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) method. Results of phytochemical analysis of extracts showed the presence of glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, phenols, etc. In-vitro antioxidant activities clearly suggest that methanol extract has higher antioxidant activity than the other extract due to a higher presence of phenolic and flavonodal constituents in the methanol extract. These experimental findings would further establish the scientific basis of the traditional uses of the plant in the management of different conditions as well as control of different disease.