Abstract

EVALUATION OF INVITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF THE PLANT POLYCARPAEA AUREA

Alan Jacob*, Nisha K. V., Rajendra Prasad M. R. and Dr. Ajith Babu T. K.

ABSTRACT

Polycarpaea aurea Wight & Arn is a herb of annual or perennial, small shrubs with taproots slender to stout, stems erect, branched, terete, leaves opposite, sometimes appearing whorled belonging to the family of Caryophyllaceae. It is widespread but mainly of temperate or warm temperate occurrence in the North hemisphere, with principal centers of distribution in the Mediterranean region and West Asia to West China and the Himalayas, fewer species in Africa, South of the Sahara, America, India and Oceania with 30 genera and 390 species. The whole plant is used as a diabetic and diaphoretic. The invitro antioxidant activity done by using DPPH and Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays, invitro antimicrobial activity of the plant carried out by using agar well diffusion method.

Keywords: Polycarpaea aurea, DPPH, Hydrogen peroxide, Agar well diffusion.