Exploring the Antioxidant Properties of Digera muricata (L.) Mart. Leaves Through In Vitro Assays

The present study evaluated the in vitro antioxidant activity of the hydro-ethanolic leaf extract of Digera
muricata using five different antioxidant assays, namely DPPH radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical
scavenging, ion chelating, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities. The
antioxidant potential was assessed at concentrations ranging from 20–100 µg/ml. The extract exhibited a
concentration-dependent increase in antioxidant activity in all assays. In the DPPH assay, the percentage inhibition
increased from 18.07 ± 1.35% to 85.68 ± 1.23%, with an IC₅₀ value of 52.0 µg/ml. Nitric oxide scavenging activity
ranged from 17.53 ± 1.52% to 85.60 ± 1.38%, with an IC₅₀ of 53.1 µg/ml. The ion chelating assay demonstrated
inhibition values between 16.79 ± 1.32% and 88.22 ± 1.15%, yielding an IC₅₀ value of 54.8 µg/ml. Hydroxyl
radical scavenging activity increased from 19.55 ± 1.30% to 87.70 ± 1.29%, with an IC₅₀ of 56.0 µg/ml. Similarly,
hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity ranged from 15.25 ± 1.25% to 88.34 ± 1.35%, with an IC₅₀ value of 53.5
µg/ml. The results indicate that the extract possesses significant free radical scavenging and metal chelating
properties, which may be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and other bioactive
phytochemicals. The findings suggest that Digera muricata leaves are a promising natural source of antioxidants
and could be utilized for the development of therapeutic agents against oxidative stress-related disorders.