Abstract

Background and objective: Morinda lucida is a flowering plant which belongs to the family, Rubiaceae and reported to possess numerous pharmacological properties. This study was carried out to assess the antioxidant potentials of n-hexane extracts of M. lucida as a link to its medicinal actions.
Methods: The leaves of M. lucida were collected from the local suppliers and the n-Hexane extract of the leaves was prepared using Soxhlet extractor. The extract was then concentrated in a rotary evaporator and investigated for different antioxidant parameters.
Results: The results of the study revealed that n-hexane M. lucida possess substantial radical scanvenging ability, ferric reducing power, iron chelating ability and antilipid peroxidation property compared to the control (P< 0.05). The documented medicinal properties of the plant can therefore be attributed to the experimentally proved and ascertained antioxidant action. 

Keywords

antioxidants, Morinda lucida, n-hexane extract, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species