In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Leaves Extracts of Areca catechu

Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae) is a species of palm mainly grown in Asian countries for seed crop. Areca nut leaves are commonly used in traditional systems of medicine against various ailments. There is a need for identifying native natural plant sources to acquire their recognized medicinal properties, which may widen them to use as new therapeutics for various diseases. The present work was aimed to evaluate the in vitro pharmacological screening of the extracts of the leaves of Areca catechu L. by DPPH assay, nitric oxide radical scavenging activity, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity. The extracts of the leaves of Areca catechu L. showed significant results with the standard ascorbic acid.