Journal of Ethnopharmacology and Toxicology | Volume 4 Issue 2 | Pages: 1-10 | Doi : 10.37446/jet/rsa/4.2.2026.1-10

Research Article

OPEN ACCESS | Published on : 07-Jul-2026

In vitro antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effect of Prosopis cineraria seed extract in Allium cepa model

Sivasankar Murugesh
• Research Scholar, PG and Research Department of Biochemistry, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore-641029, Tamil Nadu, India.


• Santhoshkumar Muthu
• Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore- 641029, Tamil Nadu, India.

Abstract

Prosopis cineraria (L.) is a drought-tolerant leguminous species, which is native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Asia. In India, the plant is distributed across the states such as Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. The antioxidant potential of the seed extract was evaluated using different antioxidant assays, including DPPH, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) radical scavenging assays. The cytotoxic potential was evaluated using the Allium cepa cytotoxicity assay. The estimation of total phenolic and flavonoids revealed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents in the seed extract.  The extract exhibited concentration-dependent radical scavenging activity with an IC₅₀ value of 432.6 µg/mL in a DPPH assay. Whereas, the nitric oxide scavenging potential of the extract shows equal activity to quercetin, with an IC₅₀ value of 103.9 µg/mL. The extract exhibited the higher hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of extract with an IC₅₀=176.2 µg/mL. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant concentration-dependent effect in all antioxidant assays (p < 0.0001). The extract produced a dose-dependent reduction in the mitotic index, decreasing from 51.99% at 12.5 µg/mL to 39.80% at 100 µg/mL, indicating progressive inhibition of cell division. Although the positive control exhibited potent cytostatic activity, the extract showed mild to moderate cytotoxic effects, as evidenced by increased mitotic depression rates with increasing concentration. The P. cineraria seeds are a rich source of antioxidant phytochemicals and possess more potent antioxidant and moderate cytotoxic properties. These results support its potential use in the management of oxidative stress-related conditions.

Keywords

Prosopis cineraria, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, Allium cepa, bioactive compounds

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