Abstract:
The in-vitro antioxidant activity and protease activity of the latex of different plant
sources, namely Tabernaemontana divericata, Croton bonplandianum, Plumeria
rubra, Nerium oleander, Cascabela thevetia, Alstonia scholaris, Allamanda
cathartica were analysed. The antioxidant activity was analyzed using DPPH (1-
1, dipenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) reduction assay and protease activity was analyzed
by the cleavage of milk protein, casein. From the results, it was observed that
Croton bonplandianum latex has exhibited very strong and highest antioxidant
activity (76±5.4%) followed by Allamanda cathartica (71±3.8%). Nerium oleander
(62±4.2%) and Plumeria rubra latexes (58±2.9%) have showed good antioxidant
activity. Cascabela thevetia (35±4.4%) and Tabernaemontana divericata latexes
(28±3.0%) have showed moderate antioxidant activity. However, Alstonia scholaris
latex has showed the least and negligible antioxidant activity (0.19±0.05%). The
protease activity was found to be significantly highest in the Tabernaemontana
divericata latex (4461.55±230 μg ml-1) followed by Cascabela thevetia (3307.7±284
μg ml-1). Good amount of the protease activity was found in Allamanda cathartica
latex (1205.15±155 μg ml-1) followed by Croton bonplandianum (923.1±213 μg
ml-1). Moderate amount of the protease activity was found in Nerium oleander
(333.35±84 μg ml-1) and Plumeria rubra latexes (179.5±38 μg ml-1). However, least
protease activity was observed in Alstonia scholaris latex (51.3±14 μg ml-1). The
results revealed that almost all plant latex samples except A. scholaris have showed
from moderate to strong antioxidant and protease activities. C. bonplandianum latex
has exhibited significantly highest antioxidant activity and T. divericata latex has
exhibited significantly highest protease activity
