European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON PHENOLIC CONTENT, FLAVONOID CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN SELECTED SPECIES OF OCIMUM FROM CENTRAL REGION OF GUJARAT

Sunil M. Khristi*, Monika J. Gandhi and Arvnabh Mishra

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present study was comparative studies on phenolic content, flavonids content and antioxidant activity of selected species of Ocimum. Crude methanolic extract of dried leaves of selected species viz., Ocimum basilicum L., O. gratissimum L. and O. sanctum L. were used and it’s showed variation in terms of phytochemical screening. Qualitative analysis of phytochemical constituent’s viz. alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenol steroids and saponins were found to be present in all the tested species. However, cardiac glycosides, triterpens and phlobatannins were absents in all the tested species of Ocimum. Quantitative analysis of total phenolics and flavonoids had revealed that O. gratissimum possessed maximum phenolic content (4.14 mg/g dry weight basis of leaf sample). However, minimum content was reported in Ocimum basilicum (1.92 mg/g dry weight basis of leaf sample). For flavonoids content, maximum result was showed by O. sanctum (6.86 mg/g dry weight basis of leaf sample) while minimum content was found in O. basilicum (2.96 mg/g dry weight basis of leaf sample). Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging and reducing power assays. The results suggested that maximum antioxidant activity by DPPH method as well as reducing power assay were showed by O. gratissimum (67.42% and 5.65 mg/g dry weight basis of leaf sample). Overall results has indicate that O. gratissimum has maximum phytochemical contents in compare to rest of tested species.

Keywords: Antioxidant, DPPH, Phytochemicals and Ocimum.