Total phenols, total flavonoids contents and free radical scavenging activity of seeds crude extracts of pigeon pea traditionally used in Oman for the treatment of several chronic diseases

Objective: To investigate total phenols, flavonoids content of methanol crude extract of pigeon\udpea seeds powder and its different polarities soluble fractions and evaluate their free radical\udscavenging activity.\udMethods: The powder seeds samples were used for extraction with methanol. Methanol crude\udextract from the seeds was defatted by water and fractioned by different polarities of solvents.\udThe investigation of total phenols and flavonoids contents of total six crude extracts of pigeon\udpea were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminum chloride calorimetric methods.\udAntioxidant activity of six crude extracts from the seeds of pigeon pea was determined through\udα,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl method.\udResults: Significant amount of total phenols content was presented in hexane crude\udextract among the six crude extracts of pigeon pea and the order was hexane>chloroform>\udmethanol>ethyl acetate>butanal>water. Similarly, significant amount of total flavonoids content\udwas presented in chloroform crude extract and the order was chloroform>methanol>ethyl\udacetate>butanol>water>hexane. The crude extracts displayed significant α,α-diphenyl-β-\udpicrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity with highest value in hexane extract followed\udby butanol, methanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform and water crude extracts having value of\ud95.50%, 83.30%, 64.60%, 64.20%, 60.60% and 52.60%, respectively.\udConclusions: The crude extracts from seeds of pigeon pea have high contents of total phenols,\udflavonoids and antioxidant activity. In this regards, it could be used as a medicine for the\udtreatment of different chronic diseases