THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES TO A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT ONE-STEP PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF YIELD RANGING BETWEEN 15-35% FROM PLANT DILLENIA INDICA SHOWING ANTI- OXIDANT ACTIVITY RANGING BETWEEN 55 TO 85%, WHEREBY SOLVENTS ARE REGENERATED, AND ALSO, USE OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PLANT DILLENIA INDICA AS AN ANTI-OXIDANT IN FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL SUBSTANCES AND ADDITIVES, WHEREIN THE CONCENTRATION OF THE EXTRACT IN FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL IS RANGING BETWEEN 0.2 TO 3.0%.