A Comparative Study on In-vitro Antioxidant Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Selected Green Leafy Vegetables

This research work involves the study of antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts from three commonly consumed green leafy vegetables: Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek), and Mentha arvensis (mint). The plant materials were extracted using methanol under reflux conditions, and preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, and glycosides. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using four different in-vitro assays: DPPH radical scavenging, superoxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and lipid peroxidation inhibition. Ascorbic acid served as the standard reference compound. The methanolic extract of M. arvensis showed superior antioxidant activity across all assays, with IC50 values of 132.51 µg/mL for DPPH, 171.0 µg/mL for superoxide, 532.97 µg/mL for hydroxyl radical, and 475.49 µg/mL for lipid peroxidation. C. sativum extract showed moderate activity, while T. foenum-graecum exhibited comparatively lower antioxidant potential. The order of antioxidant efficacy was established as M. arvensis > C. sativum > T. foenum-graecum. The results validate the traditional use of these green leafy vegetables as natural antioxidants and suggest their potential application in functional foods and nutraceuticals for preventing oxidative stress-related disorders.