Antioxidant potential of flowers of Moringa oleifera Lam.: a solvent-based comparative study

Moringa oleifera is a widely cultivated medicinal tree known for its rich phytochemical composition and diverse therapeutic properties. While leaves, pods and seeds have been extensively studied, limited information is available regarding the antioxidant potential of its flowers. Present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of hydroethanolic, methanolic and ethanolic extracts of M. oleifera flowers using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. Extracts were tested at varying concentrations and the percentage inhibition of DPPH radicals was determined spectrophotometrically. Among them, the methanolic extract showed comparatively higher radical scavenging potential, followed by the ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts. The observations point that the flowers of M. oleifera possess appreciable antioxidant properties and warrant further phytochemical investigation.