FARAH J. HASHIM, THIKRA H. MATHKOR, HATEM HUSSEIN R. AND
Abstract
Moringa oleifera trees native to Asian countries, consumed as traditional food and play role in pharmaceutical cosmetics industries. Moringa oleifera leaves dried and powdered then (2 g) were subjected for extraction by (70%) ethanolic alcohol and Distilled water (hot and room temperature) individually, to obtained three different extracts. Analysis and characterization of phytochemical compounds was done by Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) followed by determination total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoids contents (TFC) for each extract. Antioxidant effect against free radicals were estimated via ferric reducing antioxidant power capacity analysis (FRAP). Results of FTIR analysis represented existence of phenolic compounds in the three extracts as well as GC-MS analysis data prove presence of bioactive molecules including flavonoids, tannins and significant amount of silicon compounds while data recorded from experiment of total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoids contents (TFC) revealed considerable amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds for ethanolic extract significantly compared with room temperature and hot aqueous extract. Reducing antioxidant power capacity assay proved ability of aqueous extracts (room temperature and hot) with IC50 (3.395±0.0871 and 5.750±0.0539), respectively, to reduce oxidative stress more than ethanolic extract (IC50 9.629±1.636) compared with ascorbic acid as a reference with giving attention that room temperature exhibited the highest reducing power activity. As a conclusion, Moringa oleifera leaves provide a good source for phenolic and flavonoid natural products in addition to silicon compounds which were detected in aqueous and ethanolic extracts by powerful and highly sensitive tools of FTIR and GC-MS. Otherwise, room temperature aqueous extract represent highest oxidative reducing power compared with hot aqueous and ethanolic extracts.