Abstract

QUANTIFICATION OF CERTAIN SECONDARY METABOLITES AND EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES IN THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANT, THALICTRUM JAVANICUM BLUME

Abinaya Gurunathan, *Paulsamy Subramaniam and Saradha Maran

ABSTRACT

In the present investigation, various alcoholic and water extracts of leaf, stem and root parts of the traditional medicinal plant species, Thalictrum javanicum were analysed for total phenolics, tannins, condensed tannins, total saponins, total flavonoids and ascorbic acid and for antioxidant activity in terms of hydroxyl radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging and H2O2 scavenging activities and phosphomolybdneun and inhibition of β–carotene bleaching assays. The contents of the various major secondary metabolites estimated were varied widely across the solvents used in all the three parts.Generally, the methanolic extract contained higher amount of secondary metabolites than that of the other solvent extracts. The antioxidant property evaluated was effective for all parts. However, it was varied between extracts of various solvent extracts. The hydroxyl scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and total antioxidant activities in terms of phosphomolybdenum assay and β- carotene activity were comparable to that of the respective standards in all three parts. However, nitric oxide scavenging activity was not comparable to that of the standard.

Keywords: Thalictrum javanicum, secondary metabolites, total antioxidant activities.