Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND STUDY OF ANTI-OXIDANT POTENTIAL OF A WILD PLANT: NICOTIANA PLUMBAGINIFOLIA Viv. FROM CHANDIGARH

Nishtha*, Richa and Anju Rao

Abstract

Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. also known as wild tobacco is an erect annual or perennial weedy plant with spreading radical and slender leafy branches and belongs to the family Solanaceae. The plant is of great significant importance in terms of its uses as it acts as an effective antispasmodic, diuretic and expectorant. It is used to treat human ailments like in treating swelling, rheumatic fever, it acts as analgesic and possess larvicidal and anti-bacterial properties. Decoction and infusions of the roots and leaves are used to treat syphilis ulceration in men. Present study was undertaken for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of active phytochemical constituents present in the leaves of this plant. Qualitative tests reveal the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides and tannins in aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic leaf extracts. Quantitative studies detected the presence of nicotine and nornicotine as major alkaloids by HPLC in the methanolic leaf extracts. The anti-oxidant studies were estimated by DPPH assay and H2O2 radical scavenging activity showing the highest % inhibition of 86.54% and 88.13% as compared to the reference standard respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also calculated along with reference standard and calculated as mg equivalents per g of the sample. (mg/g).

Keywords: Phytochemical, Flavonoids, Antioxidant and HPLC.