Pharmacologyonline 3: 206-215 (2008) Verma et al. 206 ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF FRUITS OF FICUS BENGALENSIS LINN. Nitin Verma 1 *, R.L.Khosa 1 and A.K.Pathak 2 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Bharat Institute of Technology, Partapur Bypass, NH#58, Meerut-250 005 (U.P.) India Phone: +91 121 24001877, +91 9897222975 nitinmiet14@rediffmail.com nitinmiet1482@gmail.com 2 Department of Pharmacy, Barkatullah University Bhopal -462 002. Summary Antioxidant activity of defatted ethanolic extract of fruits of Ficus bengalensis was studied for its free radical scavenging property in different in vitro models as 1, 1- Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide, superoxide, hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxide radical model. The extract showed significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging property in all the models except in hydroxyl radical inhibition assay. IC 50 values were found to be 8.16, 14.81, 25.66 and 16.32 μg/ml respectively in DPPH, nitric oxide, superoxide and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. However in hydroxyl radical inhibition assay 1000 μg/ml extract showed only 11% inhibition with respect to the control. Measurement of total phenolic compounds by Folin-Ciocalteu’s phenol reagent indicated that 1mg of the extract contained 128.55μg equivalent of pyrocatechol, indicating the possibility of its having antioxidant property apparently due to its high phenolic content. Key Words: Ficus bengalensis Antioxidant, 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), phenolic content. , * Correspondent author Phone: +91 121 24001877, +91 9897222975 E-mail: nitinmiet14@rediffmail.com nitinmiet1482@gmail.com