Abstract:
Background: The antioxidants are mainly involved in preventing the oxidative stress and these
are used in diabetes mellitus patients in preventing the further damage to the beta cells caused
by the radicals formed due to elevated blood glucose in the blood and worsening of the
condition. Neerizhivu chooranam 2 is a polyherbal drug used in treating diabetes mellitus
(Neerizhivu) in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It consists of Terminalia chebula, Emblica
officianalis, Murraya koenigii, Cyprus rotundus, Tinospora cordifolia, Syzyzium cumini and
Phyllunthus amarus.
Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant activity of Neerizhivu chooranam 2 using 2,2-
Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum assay.
Methods: The plant parts were collected individually and dried. They were powdered and
sieved within 45 sieve plates and they were mixed in the ratio of 2:2:2:1:1:1:1 of Terminalia
chebula: Emblica officianalis: Murraya koenigii: Cyprus rotundus: Tinospora cordifolia:
Syzyzium cumini: Phyllunthus amarus to make the Neerizhivu chooranam 2. The chooranam
was extracted with methanol using maceration process. In vitro antioxidant activity of
methanolic extract was evaluated using DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical
scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum assay by having L-Ascorbic acid as a standard.
The IC50 values of the DPPH assay and the ascorbic acid equivalents from phophomolybdenum
assay were determined. Data of DPPH assay was analysed with one-way ANOVA at 5%
significance level.
Results: The IC50 of methanolic extracts of Neerizhivu chooranam 2 was found to be 2.1633
µg/mL whereas ascorbic acid IC50 was found to be 1.1588 µg/mL. The ascorbic acid
equivalents in phophomolybdenum assay for Neerizhivu chooranam 2 was found to be 72.36
Ascorbic acid Equivalent. The Antioxidant activity shown by standard and methanolic extract
of Neerizhivu chooranam 2 differed significantly (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Methanolic extract of Neerizhivu chooranam 2 was found to exhibit antioxidant
activity. Further studies needed to understand the in vivo potential of the polyherbal.
