The study evaluated quantitatively the phytochemical compounds and antioxidant capacity of water and ethanol extracts of different parts of C. gynandra L. Total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, tannins, saponins and alkaloids in both extracts were determined using standard procedures. Ferric reducing power, ABTS (2, 2’- azino- bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, DPPH (1, 1- diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl) and NO (nitric oxide) radical scavenging techniques were used to determine the antioxidant activities of C. gynandra in aqueous and ethanol extracts. The phenols, flavonoids and flavonols were found higher (P< 0.05) in both water and ethanol extracts of the leaf while the proanthocyanidins contents were seen higher in the water stem extract compared to other plant parts. The water extract showed better ABTS, reducing power and Nitric oxide radical scavenging abilities than ethanol extract. The findings of this study indicate that C. gynandra is rich in secondary metabolites and can serve as natural antioxidant. It also reveals that the water extracts exhibited significant antioxidant properties which probably accounts for its pharmacological uses.

Keywords : Wild vegetables, in-vitro antioxidant, secondary metabolites, Cleome gynandra.