In vitro antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts of Citrus maxim L. fruit pulp, stem and leaf.

Citrus maxima L. or pomelo, generally eaten as fresh fruit, is rich in vitamin C, phenolics, carotenoids and flavonoids, the potential antioxidants. In order to assess its antioxidant activity, the leaves, stems and fruits were collected washed with water, air dried in shade, ground to a fine powder, and methanolic extracts were prepared by using Soxhlet apparatus. The free radical scavenging activities of the extracts were determined by DPPH assay, The results obtained in the form of IC50 values for DPPH radical scavenging activity were 457.2, 859.8 and 876.69 μg/ml respectively for leaves, fruits and stem portions, indicating higher anti-oxidant activity in the leaves.