Antioxidant and Larvicidal Activity of Areal Parts of Scrophularia striata against Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi

BACKGROUND: Scrophularia striata is a perennial plant which is native in all parts of Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. In this study, the total phenol content, antioxidant and larvicidal activities of total extract and different fractions of this plant were evaluated. METHODS: The aerial parts of S. striata were collected from Boli village, Illam Province, western Iran in Apr 2013. The total phenol content of total extract and different fractions were evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Moreover, antioxidant activity was tested by DPPH and FRAPS assays. Larvicidal activity was investigated according to standard method described by WHO. RESULTS: Ethyl acetate fraction (EF) had the highest content of total phenol (75.9±0.06mg Gallic acid equivalent/g dry extract). Furthermore, among the tested extract, methanol-water fraction (MWF), total methanol extract (TME) and water fraction (WF) showed the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay (IC(50)= 226.8, 283.66 and 299.4 μg.ml(−1), respectively). In FRAP assay MWF and WF and TME had the highest antioxidant activities (664.4±0.002, 565.3±0.003, 519.5±0.003mmol FeII/g dry extract, respectively). Ethyl acetate fraction had maximum larvicidal activity (LC(50) 49.1ppm) followed by TME (LC(50) 64.26ppm) and hexane fraction (HF) (LC(50) 89.69). CONCLUSION: Scrophularia striata collected from west of Iran illustrated considerable antioxidant and larvicidal effects and further in vitro and in vivo experimental models for investigation would be required.