Oxidatives stress result from an inequity between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation or the bodies’ abilities to eliminate them, leading to cellular damage of biomolecules such as DNA, lipids, and proteins. This condition contributes to several diseases including cancer, liver injury, and aging. Antioxidants, particularly those derived from plants, play a vital role in scavenging free radicals. Cedrus deodar (Roxb.) G. Don, a tall coniferous tree native to the Himalayan region, has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine and is known for its rich phytochemical profile. In the current studies, antioxidant activity of the methanolic extraction of Cedrus deodar leaves was assessed using the DPPH (2, 2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl) radical scaven-ging assay. The phytochemicals screening revealing the occurrence of alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, saponin, terpenoid and phenolic compounds, and carbohydrate. The DPPH assay verified a concentration-dependent antioxidant activity, though lower than that of the standard antioxidant silymarin. At concentration of 10, 20, and 30 μg/mL, the extract showed 14.61%, 22.12%, and 25.44% inhibition respectively. These findings suggest Cedrus deodar possesses free radical neutralizing potential. While its antioxidant activity is moderate, the presence of multiple bioactive compounds highlights its promise in developing plant-based therapeutic agents. Further investigations are needed to isolate specific active constituents and explore other pharmacological properties.
Singh et al. (Sat,) studied this question.