Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant potential of different extract/fractions of Anthocephalus
cadamba (A. cadamba) (Roxb.) Miq. (Rubiaceae) and study the tentative identification of their
active constituents. Methods: The extract/fractions were screened for antioxidant activity using
various in vitro assays viz. DPPH assay, ABTS assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay,
reducing power assay and plasmid DNA nicking assay. Total phenolic content of extract/fractions
was determined by colorimetric method. An ultra-performance LC-electrospray-quadrupoletime of flight mass spectrometry method was used to analyse the active constituents of extract/
fractions of A. cadamba. Results: The ethyl acetate fraction was found to be most active fraction
in all the assays as compared to other extract/fractions. The IC50 value of ethyl acetate fraction
(ETAC fraction) was 21.24 毺 g/mL, 1.12 毺 g/mL, 9.68 毺 g/mL and 57.81 毺 g/mL in DPPH assay,
ABTS assay, reducing power assay and superoxide scavenging assay respectively. All the extract/
fractions also showed the potential to protect the plasmid DNA (pBR322) against the attack of
hydroxyl radicals generated by Fenton’s reagent. The bioactive compounds were identified by
UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, by comparing the mass and 毸 max with literature values. Conclusions: The
potential of the extract/fractions to scavenge different free radicals in different systems indicated
that they may be useful therapeutic agents for treating radical-related pathologic damage