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An Investigation of the Antioxidant Property of Carica papaya Leaf Extracts from Mizoram, Northeast India

Surajit De Mandal, R Lalmawizuala, M Vabeiryureilai, Nachimuthu Senthil Kumar and Esther Lalnunmawii*

Northeast India is rich in medicinal plants and is unique in the diversity and traditional utilization of these plants. The region might be harboring distinct phytochemicals which might be geographically significant in the Indo- Burma hotspot region. Carica papayaa well known medicinal plant is used as folk medicine in Mizoram, Northeast India for multiple purposes but there is no proper scientific study is available to find out the pharmacological activity of this ethnomedicinal plant. Total phenolic content, total flavanoid content, free radical scavenging activity, reducing power of aqueous, methanol and petroleum ether extracts were evaluated in this study. Highest phenol and flavanoid contents were found in the aqueous extract. All the three extracts showed potential reducing activity by potassium ferricyanide reduction method. Free radical scavenging activity was determined according to the elimination of DPPH radicals and it was found that Methanol extracts of C. papaya possess the highest radical scavenging activity. These findings suggested that the leaves of papaya might be used as natural antioxidants and can be acts as a major source for drug discovery.