Antioxidants are substances in various food and beverages that neutralizes free radicals from oxidizing in the body. Free radicals are only beneficial when the body goes through metabolism. Additional free radicals that do not come from metabolism can be very detrimental. Free radicals can cause oxidative stress on the cells in the body which can slowly cause damage to cells, leading to various of diseases. It’s essential to note what type of antioxidants are consumed when eating different foods because antioxidants can alleviate damage from free radicals. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of mangos (Mangifera Indica) was determined spectrophotometrically using a DPPH assay. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) is a deep purple, organic compound with stable free radicals. DPPH assay is used to measure the ability of compounds to act as hydrogen donors which is vital in observing the antioxidant activity in various foods. When DPPH is in contact with antioxidants, the color of DPPH turns from a dark purple to different shades of yellow depending on the concentration of antioxidant solutions. Thus, Mangifera indica fruit was deskinned, deseeded, and soaked in methanol overnight. The solution was vacuum filtrated and evaporated to a sticky semi solid. Individual antioxidant solutions were prepared with concentrations varying from 1 to 10 mg/mL in methanol. A DPPH solution was then mixed and incubated at room temperature with Mangifera indica extract. After incubation, the absorbance of each solution was recorded at a wavelength of 515 nm using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The absorbance was then used to calculate the antioxidant activity through percentage of inhibition.

Reaction of DPPH with hydrogen atom donor

Gregory Milligan

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