Antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of various fractions of ethanol extract of Dianthus superbus

This study examined the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of various fractions (prepared by using solvents of varying polarity) of ethanol extract of Dianthus superbus (DS). The antioxidant activities of various fractions were evaluated in terms of their free radical-scavenging activity. The total phenolics and reducing powers of the fractions were measured. The cytotoxic activities of the fractions on three human malignant cell lines were also investigated. Among all fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction (EE-DS), which had the highest phenolic content and the strongest reducing power, exhibited the strongest antioxidant and cytotoxic activities.