ABSTRACT

The preserıt study has been designed to investigate the antioxidarıt and antitumor activities of ethyl acetate (EA) extract of stem bark of Polyalthia simiarum (Annonaceae). Antioxidant potential of the EA extract w as evaluated in vitro by DPPH (fl-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging assay method. The EA extract showed free radical scavenging activity with ICS0 value of24.08 ± 0.30 jug/mL. The antitumor activity of the extractwas determined against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in mice at 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body vveight intraperitoneally. Signifıcant (p<0.001) increase of survival time by 25 i 0.52 and 22 i 0.40 days by the EA extract treated tumor bearıng mıce ~was confirmed ~wıth respect to the control group (22 ± 0.12 days). Hematological studies revealed that the hemoglobin (Hb) content w as decreased in EAC treated mice vvhereas restoration to close to normal levels w as observed in extract treated animals. There was a signifıcant (p<0.001) decrease in RBC and increase in WBC counts in extract treated animals when compared to EAC affected animals. Therefore, the EA extract of P. simiarum was capable to exhibit moderate antioxidant and antitumor activities. This is the fırst report of antioxidant and antitumor potential of P. simiarum.