Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, TOTAL FLAVONOID AND PHENOLIC CONTENT ASSAYS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L. LEAVES

Suman Chahar*, Jaya Sharma

Bhagwant University, Ajmer (R.J.)

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research was to conduct the preliminary phytochemical screening, total flavonoid and phenolic contents assays and antioxidant activity of various solvent extracts of leaves of Momordica charantia. Phytochemical screening was carried out according to the method of Trease and Evans, total flavonoid content was measured by the aluminium chloride colorimetric assay and total phenolic content was estimated spectrophotometrically by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Preliminary phytochemical screening reveals the presence of mucilage, proteins, tannins, saponin, flavonoids, anthraquinones and terpenoids in the extracts (petroleum ether extract and hydro-alcoholic extract). Leaves hydro-alcoholic extract has the richest content of both phenolics and flavonoids i.e. (14.28 mg GAE/g and 12.16 mg QE/g) respectively, and petroleum ether extract was the least i.e. (1.73 mg GAE/g and 1.16 mg QE/g). It can be hypothesised that the high contents of phenolic compounds of leaves of Momordica charantia indicated that these compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity and can be regarded as promising plant species for natural sources of radical scavenging activity with potential value for treatment of many life threatening diseases.

Keywords: Momordica charantia, antioxidant, total phenolic, flavonoids, phytochemical analysis