Arias CQ, Valdés ILE, Remón ZN, Ramírez AJ

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 738-748
PDF size: 255.63 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Luffa cylindrica L. Roem, propagated in Cuba in a wild way, commonly known as scouring pad has been little researched and interesting medicinal properties are attributed to it. The objective of the work was to determine the in vitro antioxidant capacity of the ethanolic extracts of the fruit of this plant. The extracts were prepared by maceration in 70 % ethanol and the total antioxidant capacity determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. The evaluated ethanolic extracts of the Luffa cylindrica L. fruit, both in the green and dry mature states, possess antioxidant activity. The phytochemical composition of the extracts was explored qualitatively by phytochemical screening and it was possible to detect the presence of triterpenes, polyphenols, anthocyanidins, and abundant coumarins in both extracts; as well as saponins and glycosides in the extract of the immature green fruit, metabolites that could be responsible for the antioxidant capacity shown.