"Extractive Values and Antioxidant Properties of Leaves, Seeds, Pods and Coats Moringa Plant"
Jacob Olalekan Arawande
Abstract
The need for identifying and using effective solvents for extraction of bioactive ingredients of high antioxidant properties from plant sources is paramount. The aim of this work is to establish the best solvent for extraction of bioactive ingredients as well as the part of moringa plant that is richest in antioxidants properties. The seeds, leaves, pods and coats of moringa plant were obtained, cut, ground and sieved with 40 mm mesh and separately extracted using six different solvents (acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, water and chloroform) at ratio 1:10 for 72 h. The efficiency of each solvent was determined as percent extractive value. The first two highest solvent extracts for each of the seeds, leaves, pods and coats of moringa plant were analyzed for antioxidant properties. It was observed that moringa seeds had the highest extractive values in all the solvents used while moringa pods had the lowest extractive values. The solvent extraction efficiency decreases in order of acetone, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, water and chloroform. There was significant difference at p<0.05 in the extractive values of the seeds, leaves, pods and coats of moringa plant in all the solvents used. There were significant differences at p < 0.05 in the total flavonoid, total phenol, DPPH, iron chelation assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power of raw sample, ethanol extract and ethyl acetate extract of moringa leaves as well as all the antioxidant properties for raw sample, acetone extract and ethanol extract of moringa coats. Seeds and leaves of moringa were richest in antioxidant properties.