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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Comparative analysis of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems in in vivo and in vitro plant parts of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13884
Submitted
28 January 2026
Published
28-09-2026 — Updated on 30-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant known for its antioxidant properties; however, comparative information on antioxidant systems across different plant parts and growth conditions (in vivo vs in vitro) remains limited. This study quantified major secondary metabolites and evaluated enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities in in vivo and in vitro propagated plant parts (leaf, root, stem) as well as callus cultures. Enzymatic antioxidant activities were assessed using catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays, while non-enzymatic antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH assay. In vivo roots showed the highest antioxidant potential (IC50 = 24.56 ± 3.44 µg/mL), followed by in vivo leaves (IC50 = 40.28 ± 6.81 µg/mL), in contrast to ascorbic acid (IC50  = 26.51 ± 3.14 µg/mL) used as standard. The antioxidant enzymes activity ranged from 0.0011 ± 0.0001–0.0031 ± 0.0002 ΔOD min-1 g-1 fresh weight (FW) for CAT, 0.115 ± 0.052–0.525 ± 0.012 ΔOD min-¹ g-¹ FW for POX and 0.0104 ± 0.0002–0.0194 ± 0.0001 units mg-¹ FW for SOD. The results demonstrate that not only leaves but other plant parts (root and stem) and callus also contain higher antioxidant potential Further studies should focus on the isolation, identification and comprehensive characterisation of major bioactive constituents to explore their potential applications in human health.

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