Phytochemical Screening And Antioxidant Studies Of Different Fractions Of Heterophragma Adenophyllum

Abstract

Heterophragma adenophyllum (maror phalli) belongs to family Bignoniaceae has been used as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Many species of this family exhibit good antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiulcer, antiinflammatory, antitumor and antiviral activities. Objective of this research was to determine the total phenolic, total flavanoid and condensed tannin contents of different extracts (n-hexane, chloroform, methanol) of the leaves and the bark of H. adenophyllum by using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, Aluminium chloride reagent and Vanilline-HCl assay respectively. Moreover in-vitro antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by using three different assays: 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant activity by phosphomolybdenum method and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The results revealed that methanol extract of the leaves have highest total phenolic content (15.139 mg/g ± 0.012) and total flavanoid content (6.141 mg/g ± 0.0023) while chloroform extract showed more condensed tannin (1.132 mg/g ± 0.001) content as compared to other extracts. The antioxidant assays indicated that methanol extract of leaves exhibited promising radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ value of 0.140 mg/ml ± 0.003. It also exhibited highest FRAP value (0.667 mg/g ± 0.017) and highest total antioxidant activity (21.558 mg/g ± 0.021) among all extracts of leaves and bark. The results revealed that methanolic extract of the leaves of H. adenophyllum possesses more potential to be explored as a source of natural antioxidants as compared to bark.  

Key Words

Methanolic Extract, IC₅₀ value, FRAP ,DPPH, Antioxidant.