PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS

This study investigates the phytochemical content and antioxidant potential of Phyllanthus amarus extract through chemical methods and multiple complementary assays. The plant material was extracted using methanol in a Soxhlet apparatus. The results of the phytochemical screening of the extract showed presence of Phenols (25.43%) as the most abundant and Tannins (0.121%) as the least abundant. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) assays, with ascorbic acid as a positive control. The extract demonstrated strong concentration-dependent antioxidant activity across all assays. At the highest concentration tested (500 mg/mL), the extract exhibited 90.83% DPPH radical scavenging activity, 83.14% ferric reducing power, and 56.07% lipid peroxidation inhibition. While these values were lower than those of ascorbic acid, they indicate significant antioxidant potential. The extract showed the highest activity in the DPPH assay, followed by the FRAP assay, and then the TBARS assay, suggesting that its primary antioxidant mechanism may be through direct free radical scavenging and electron donation. These findings support the traditional use of Phyllanthus amarus as a medicinal plant and suggest its potential applications in food preservation, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceutical industries. Further research is recommended to identify specific bioactive compounds, evaluate in vivo efficacy, and establish standardization protocols for commercial applications.