Abstract

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Harshingar, Parijat) belongs to the family Oleaceae. The flower has white petals with an orange calyx. Nyctanthes stems have been found to be a rich source of antioxidant. The aqueous extracts of the flower, calyx and petals were evaluated and found to be dose-dependent and showed an increase in DPPH free radical scavenging activity in vitro. The extracts, which showed strong DPPH radical scavenging activity, are in the order Calyx > flower > petals. This signifies that the main antioxidant activity is in the orange colored calyx of the flower. We have attempted an innovative study with the Nyctanthes flower as a part of an exploration for a cheap natural source of antioxidants which can be used at the industrial scale of the food industry.

Submitted: May 11, 2008 · Accepted: November 21, 2008 · Published: December 9, 2008

Recommended Citation

Vankar, Padma S. (2008) "Antioxidant Activity of the Flower of Nyctanthes arbor tristis L.," International Journal of Food Engineering: Vol. 4 : Iss. 8, Article 11.
DOI: 10.2202/1556-3758.1437
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/ijfe/vol4/iss8/art11