Total polyphenol content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of curry leaf extracts (hexane, chloroform, ethanol, ethanol-water (1:1) and water at ambient (AT, 25 °C) and boiling temperature (BT) (Soxhlet extraction), were determined by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt), and total reductive potential assays. TPC was in the order ethanol-water (1:1) (AT) > water (AT) > chloroform (AT) > ethanol-water (1:1) (BT) > hexane (AT) > ethanol (BT) > water (BT) > hexane (BT). Ethanol-water (AT) had the maximum TPC of 501 ± 4.6 mg/g GAE and 82% radical scavenging activity (RSA) at 10 μg/ml level (DPPH) and 100% RSA (ABTS) at 10 μg/ml and at hot conditions (ethanol-water (BT)) had less TPC (28.7 ± 0.9%), and 43% RSA by DPPH and 53.6% by ABTS assays. Hot extracts had lesser antioxidant activities than ambient extracts. The best solvent system for getting maximum antioxidant activity from curry leaves was ethanol-water (1:1)-(AT).
Keywords: ABTS radical cation decolorization assay; Antioxidant; Curry leaf; DPPH radical scavenging activity; Murraya koenigii; Reductive potential.