Abstract
Author(s): SM. Bhise, SB. Kulkarni
Luffacylindrica (Linn) commonly known as sponge gourd. It is a large monoecious climber. A
tendril bearing herbbelonging to family Cucurbitaceae. The plant is widely distributed throughout
India. Antioxidants are vital substances which possess the ability to protect the body from
damages caused by free radical induced oxidative stress. The Present study was undertaken to
analyze the presence of different phytochemical constituents and to evaluate antioxidant activity of
L.cylindricafruit in petroleum ether,benzene, chloroform, acetone, ethanol and water extracts. All
the extracts was testedfor1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and
compared with L-Ascorbic acid as standard. The antioxidant activity of these extracts was
investigated based on their ability to scavenge (DPPH) stable free radical. Phytochemical
screening of L.cylindrica revealed the presence of carbohydrate, protein, alkaloid, tannins,
saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids and resin. A higher percentage free radical scavenging was found
for aqueous extract as compared to all other extracts.