Abstract
Several Cleome species are used in folk medicine by many cultures as herbal remedies for the treatment of many diseases. However, there is no published report on the phytochemical composition and the antioxidant capacities of C. amblyocarpa and C. ramosissima growing wild in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this study, the phytochemical composition, total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoids contents (TFC) and antioxidant activity of crude fractions from aerial parts of C. amblyocarpa and C. ramosissima were investigated. The antioxidant activity of all tested extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzoline -6- sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS(center dot+)) free radical, Metal chelating activity (MCA), and Hydroxyl radical ((OH)-O-center dot) scavenging assays. Amounts of TPC and TFC were measured in the extract fractions from the two Cleome species. The butanol extract from each species yielded the greatest antioxidant activity. In addition, phytochemical screening of the extracts of the above plants revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, terpenes, saponins, flavonoids, anthraquinone and glycosides.