Investigation of antioxidant & cytotoxic properties of callicarpa attenuata

Abstract

Present study was performed to find out important phytochemical constituents, and establish the scientific basis of the use of the leaves of Callicarpa attenuata as therapeutic agent in traditional medicine in Bangladesh. The leaves of the plant were extracted by using methanol and the crude methanolic extract was subjected to phytochemical screening and in vitro biological investigation. The study confirmed mild total phenolic content and DPPH free radical scavenging activity that in turn confirmed mild antioxidant potential of the plant under experiment, and moderate cytotoxicity in brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to develop new drugs, especially anti-microbial agents, to treat a wide variety of diseases.