Pak. J. Pharm. Sci., Vol.27, No.2, March 2014, pp.279-284 279 In vitro antioxidant potential and free radical scavenging activity of various extracts of pollen of Typha domigensis Pers. Andleeb Anwar Sardar 1* , Zaheer-ud-Din Khan 1 , Anjum Perveen 2 , Sidra Farid 3 and Islam Ullah Khan 3 1 Deparment of Botany, GC University Lahore, Katchery Road, Lahore, Pakistan 2 Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan 3 Department of Chemistry, GC University Lahore, Katchery Road, Lahore, Pakistan Abstract: Antioxidant potential of the pollen of Typha domigensis Pers. using Ferric Reducing ower, Metal Chelating Activity and Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) assays has been carried out in the current research work. The antioxidant components were initially extracted from the pollen in methanol and were further fractionated in solvents of different polarity such as n-Hexane, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate and Water. Methanol extract which was found to have high reducing power, total phenolic contents with high metal chelating activity, has considerable prospective to utilize as a natural antioxidant and be capable to link with the total phenolic contents of plant. Keywords: Typha domigensis Pers., pollen, antioxidant, ethnopharmacological studies. INTRODUCTION It has been well recognized that plants have natural antioxidants (Huda-Faujan et al., 2009). Currently to a great extent consideration has been devoted to natural antioxidants and associated compounds due to their benefits towards human health (Arnous et al., 2001). Traditional medicines are being used throughout the World. Plants are a prime foundation of natural antioxidants i.e. a good source of new drugs (Perry et al., 1999). Pollen collected by bees are being used supplementary nutrition and in traditional medicines from several years mainly due to its health benefits (Serra and Escola, 1997; Isla et al., 2001; Kroyer and Hegedus, 2001; Almeida-Muradian et al., 2005). Its nutritional composition consists of sugars, lipids, proteins, mineral salts, fibers, vitamins and amino acids (Welsh and Marston, 1983; Marchini et al., 2006). Moreover, pollen also contains polyphenolic substances, mainly flavonoids with antioxidant (Isla et al., 2001; Campos et al., 2003) and antimicrobial activity (Garcia et al., 2001; Basim et al., 2006). During the last decade, attention in the study of phenolic compounds has boosted greatly, mainly due to the antioxidant capacity of these substances in scavenging free radicals that are harmful to human health (Dorman et al., 2003). The chemical structure of phenolic compounds is responsible for their varying antioxidant activity that can be derived by the action of the molecule as reducing agents. In vitro trials have revealed that some flavonoids have greater antioxidant activity than vitamins E and C (Almaraz-Abaraca et al., 2007). Epidemiological studies have also shown positive correlation between the increase in phenolic compound consumption with antioxidant action (Javanmardi et al., 2003) and reduction of the threat in different kinds of cancer and cardiovascular diseases (Cook and Samman, 1996). Typha, commonly known as ‘Cat Tail’ is a worldwide distributed genus of monocotyledons flowering plants with about eleven species of a monotypic family ‘Typhaceae’. Typha are tall with submerged rhizomes forming dense stands near pond, canal and river banks. They are common wetland plants of shallow waters, wet soils, marshlands and bogs (Long and Lakela, 2004). Typha species are unisexual having monoecious wind pollinated flowers. Male flowers grow in a dense barb at climax of stem of the plant, whereas minute feminine flowers also grow in a dense barb beneath the male barb (Foulis, 2004). The Herbal medication community of Turkey used feminine flowers of different Typha species for stop of bleeding, devoid of distinguishing species (Sezik et al., 1997). Other than this, Typha pollen are also used for cure of wound healing and smolder (Yesilada, 2002). Typha pollen are recognized for removing stasis and haematemesis, and are frequently recommended to cure nose and uterine bleedings (Gibbs et al., 1983; Qin and Sun, 2005; Tao et al., 2010). Typha pollen is being eaten orally to increase flow of urine, lessen fever, prevent bleedings as well as cure injuries in Pakistan. Whereas some preliminary studies on antioxidant and antibacterial potential of the pollen of some plants have been carried out, but no comprehensive study on the radical scavenging and antioxidant capacity has been endeavored as yet. Moreover, most of the studies have been done on the bee pollen, not on the fresh pollen. The current study is carried out to assess antioxidant prospective and free radical scavenging activity of T. domingensis Pers pollen extracted in methanol via ABTS .+ ecolorization Assay, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay, Total Phenolic Content assay (FRAP), Metal Chelating Assay, and Total Flavonoids contents. *Corresponding author: e-mail: andleebanwar@gcu.edu.pk