IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIDIABETIC, AND ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF LIMONIN AND NOMILIN CONTAINING METHANOL EXTRACTS OF CITRUS MAXIMA SEEDS

Nazratun Noor Maria, Shafina Khanam Koly, Swarupa Kundu, Nazmun Nahar, Taslima Begum, Mohammad Nasrin Abdul Rahman, Wan Mohd Azizi Bin Wan Sulaiman and Abul Kalam Azad*

Objective: The objective of the present work is to study the in-vitro anti-oxidant, antidiabetic, and anthelmintic activities of the methanol extract of Citrus maxima (C. maxima) seeds. Methods: The anti-oxidant activity of the C. maxima seed extracts (250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, and 15.63 μg/ml) was studied using 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity against standard ascorbic acid (same concentration). Antidiabetics were studied using the α-amylase enzyme inhibitory study (Starch-Iodine colon assay method). Anthelmintic activity of C. maxima seeds (5, 10, and 20 mg/ml in distilled water) was observed against Pheretima posthuma, which involved the determination of the time of paralysis (TP) and time of death (TD) of the worms. Albendazole (5, 10, and 20 mg/ml in distilled water) was included as a standard reference. Results: Methanol extracts of C. maxima seed extracts had DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 367.6301 μg/ml), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (IC50 617.289 μg/ml), and were comparable with standard ascorbic acid. C. maxima seed extract exhibited significant antihelmintic activity at the highest concentration of 20 mg/ml. The extracts were found not only to paralyze (Pheretima posthuma) but also to kill the earthworms (Pheretima posthuma). Phytochemicals have been observed from C. maxima seed, such as terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, tannins, phlobatannines, steroids, anthraquinones, alkaloids, vitamins, amino acids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, resins, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fixed oils. Conclusion: Limonin- and nomilin-containing C. maxima seeds crude methanolic extract extracts possess antioxidant activities (DPPH and H2O2 inhibition activity), antidiabetic activities (α-amylase inhibitory), and anthelmintic activity. C. maxima by-product seeds therefore have the potential to be utilized as a complementary therapy. Additionally, more research should be done.