ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AND PHENOLIC CONTENT OF BULLET WOOD (MIMUSOPS ELENGI) FRUIT EXTRACT

Methanolic extracts of green and orange-ripe fruit of bullet wood or 'Phikun' (Mimusops elengi L.) were investigated for antioxidant capacity and phenolic content. Three different assays were used, namely radical scavenging methods (DPPH and ABTS), reducing power methods (FRAP and potassium ferricyanide) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Extracts from green fruit had higher levels of both antioxidant capacity and phenolic content than the orange-ripe fruits. The methanolic extracts were sequentially separated into hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions. Antioxidant capacities were detected in all fractions with the highest capacity in the ethyl acetate fraction.