Screening of Bio-active Pigments, Antioxidant Activity, Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content of Some Economically Important Medicinal Plants for Ethno-botanical Uses

An experiment was conducted to determinate the phytochemical properties (chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, carotenoids, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content) in ten medicinal plants namely Syal Kata (Argemone mexicana L.), Akanda (Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand.), Dumur (Ficus carica L.), Chalmugra (Gynocardia odorata R.Br.), Kata kachu (Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites), Shetodrone (Leucas aspera (Wild.)), Khona (Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz), Reri (Ricinus communis L.), Ghat kachu (Typhonium trilobatum (L.) Schott) and Bazna (Zanthoxylum rhetsa DC.) for ethno-botanical uses. The young fresh leaves were harvested and were subjected to methanolic (95%) extract. Total phenolic contents were analysed by using Folin - Ciocalteau method where gallic acid was used as standard. Total phenolic content varied from 94.53 mg GAE/100 g FW (C. gigantea) to 484.88 mg GAE/100 g FW (L. aspera). Total flavonoid contents were performed by using Quercetin as standard. Total flavonoid content varied from 137.25 mg QUE /100 g FW (C. gigantea) to 334.27 mg QUE/100 g FW (G. odorata). Antioxidant activity of these extracts was performed by using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Total anti-oxidant capacity varied from IC50 value 35.37 mg/mL (A. mexicana) to 90.47 mg/mL (F. carica) where ascorbic acid is used as standard. Results indicated that among the ten medicinal plants phenolics rich in L. aspera, flavonoids rich in G. odorata, antioxidant activity rich in A. mexicana. Z. rhetsa leaf rich in chlorophyll-a content (311.67 mg/100 g FW), L. aspera leaf rich in chlorophyll-b content (157 mg/100 g FW), Z. rhetsa rich in chlorophyll- (a+b) content as 439 mg/100 g FW, A. mexicana leaf rich in carotenoids content as 96 mg/100 g FW.