Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxicity and FTIR analysis of whole plant extract of Elephantopus scaber L. (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Elephantopus scaber L. belongs to the family Asteraceae, is a common wild herb that forms undergrowth in shady places. Decoction of whole plant is used as an antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic, emollient and tonic. The main aim of the proposed work is the evaluation of in vitro antioxidant, in vitro cytotoxicity and FTIR analysis of crude methanolic whole plant extract of E. scaber L. In the preliminary phytochemical analysis glycosides, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins and saponins were found whereas steroids were absent. In antioxidant analysis, two important assays such a DPPH radical scavenging assay and Nitric oxide radical scavenging assay were selected. In DPPH radical scavenging assay, it was noticed that the ability of methanolic whole plant extract had highest scavenging effect on the DPPH radical which was increasing with an increase in the concentration of the sample whereas in Nitric oxide scavenging assay, compared to standard drug ascorbic acid methanolic whole plant extract showed moderate radical scavenging activity. In in vitro cytotoxic analysis, whole plant extract showed potential cytotoxic activity against different cell lines like MCF 7 (Human Breast Cancer Cell line) and HCT 116 (Human Colon Cancer Cell Line). The cytotoxic effect was expressed as IC50. The IC50 value against MCF-7 cell line was 78.76 ± 1.23 µg/mL whereas 98.40 ± 1.56 µg/mL against HCT-116 cell lines, which indicated that the crude whole plant extract of E. scaber L. showed high cytotoxicity effect against selected cancer cells lines. FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed that various characteristics frequencies with peak values. This study suggests that whole plant extract of E. scaber L. exhibit high antioxidant and cytotoxicity potentials and will be helpful for the sustainable utilization of the plant.