Abstract

Sumathi Ethiraj*, Janarthanam Balasundaram, Divya Ravichandran and Kanaga Subramani

ABSTRACT

The aim of the current study was to analyse the phytochemical constituents, total phenol, flavonoid and alkaloid, anti-oxidant activity and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of Camptothecin compound from the leaf extract of Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Preliminary screening involved the qualitative methods to detect the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, steroids, quinones, saponins, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids in the leaf extracts of Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Total phenol, flavonoid and alkaloid contents were quantitatively estimated. Total phenolic content was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteau method and the total flavonoid content was determined by aluminium chloride colorimetric method. In vitro antioxidant activity of aqueous, ethanol, acetone, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts was evaluated by studying 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity using the standard procedure. The leaf extract was screened for a major active compound namely Camptothecin compound using HPLC. Qualitative phytochemical screening of ethanolic leaf extract of Nothapodytes nimmoniana revealed the presence of significant secondary metabolites such as quinones, saponin, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, phenols, tannins and glycosides. Phytochemical quantification of the leaf extracts showed that the highest total phenolic content of 39.13 ± 0.27mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g, total flavonoid content of 13.82 ± 0.19 mg Quercetin Equivalents (QE)/g and alkaloid content of 12.71 ± 0.38 mg/g. Five different solvent extracts of Nothapodytes nimmoniana leaf were evaluated for antioxidant activities by DPPH assay using Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT) as standard. Among five different solvents used, maximum antioxidant activity was found in ethanol leaf extract (90.18 ± 0.32 %) followed by others. The results of HPLC analysis in the leaf extract of Nothapodytes nimmoniana revealed the presence of the active principle namely Camptothecin. The HPLC method is efficient, precise, accurate and sensitive to determining active compounds in plant extracts and it is recommended for efficient assays in routine work.