The genotoxic and antioxidant activities of methanolic and chloroform extracts of Schweinfurthia papilionacea (L.) Boiss was assessed using a comet assay on human lymphocyte genomic DNA and a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. The genotoxic activity of S. papilionacea showed that the methanolic extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, i.e. 60.5 at 75 mg 100mL-1 and 103.6 at 100 mg 100mL-1, while the chloroform extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, 92.2 at 75 mg/100mL and 109.7 at 100 mg 100mL-1. The antioxidant activity revealed that the methanolic extract of S. papilionacea showed the highest antioxidant activity (63.36 %) at 150 mg mL-1, while the chloroform extract of S. papilionacea exhibited the highest (% ) antioxidant activity (58.42 % ) at 150 µg mL-1, but less than the standard drug ascorbic acid (AA) (78.35 % ). The present results showed that S. papilionacea possess genoprotective and antioxidant properties and can be used to treat several diseases. However, further studies are also needed to understand the radical-scavenging and metal-chelating activities of plants in a concentration-dependent manner.
Quddoos et al. (Mon,) studied this question.