Abstract

Acacia nilotica is a medicinal plant used in Niger republic for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the A. nilotica pods collected from Niger republic. The phytochemical contents were examined by colorimetric methods. Antioxidant activity of the methanol extract was screened using DPPH, ABTS and H2O2 free radical scavenging inhibition assays. Cytotoxicity potential was assessed using the in vitro MTT assay. The phytochemical screening of the plant extract revealed the presence of higher amounts of total phenolic, flavonoid and condensed tannins in the extract. IC50 values for the scavenging of DPPH, ABTS and H2O2 were found lower though manifesting potential antiradical capacities. The extract showed no cytotoxicity against five different cell line models. Taken together, the present results suggested the therapeutic potential of the methanol extract of A. nilotica pods. Further studies to isolate and characterize the bioactive compounds and to investigate their possible cytotoxic effects in vivo are in view.

Key words: Acacia nilotica, methanol extract, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity potential, polyphenol contents.