Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF LEAF, FLOWER AND SEED EXTRACTS OFERYTHRINA VARIEGATA L.

*V. Balamurugan, R. Dhamotharan and E. Sumathi

Abstract

The aim of study was to examine the phytochemical screening, total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity of leaf, flower and seed extracts of Erythrina variegata collected from Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. The phytochemical analysis of leaf, flower and seed extract of Erythrina variegata revealed the presence of significant secondary metabolites such as steroids, quinones, cardiac glycosides, saponins, tannins, phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids. The aqueous leaf extract of Erythrina variegata was found maximum in total phenol and flavonoid contents were 19.2 mg GAE /g and 11.9 mg QE /g followed by seed and flower extract. The leaf, flower and seed extracts of Erythrina variegata were evaluated for antioxidant activities by DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. Among five different solvent extract used, maximum antioxidant activity was found in the aqueous leaf extract of Erythrina variegata (91.3 %) followed by seed and flower extract. The powerful antioxidant activity is attributed to the greater amount of total phenols and flavonoids compound in the aqueous leaf extracts of Erythrina variegata.

Keywords: Erythrina variegata, phytochemical screening, Phenol, flavonoid, antioxidant activity.