In the present study, preliminary phytochemical analysis and in vitro antioxidant activities of the ethanolic extracts of Filicium decipiens (FD) stem and bark was performed. The extract was screened for possible antioxidant activities by free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), xanthine oxidase inhibition (XOI), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (HPSA) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The FD stem and bark extracts exhibits antioxidant activity of 24.89% and 37.25% with an IC50 value of 2.3mg/ml and 1.8mg/ml in the DPPH radical scavenging method, 52.18 and 59.97% in the XOI assay, 43.5% and 47.64% by the HPSA method, and 0.675 mmol/Fe(II)g and 0.541 mmol/Fe(II)g in the FRAP method at the concentration tested. The FD stem and bark extract was found to contain total phenolics and flavonoid and their contents was 70.83mg and 76.27mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and 2.5 ± 0.15 mg and 5.4± 0.31mg of catechin equivalent per gram of dry extract, respectively. The results indicate that these extracts have both high free radical scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibition activity.
