COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING, ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL AND BIOACTIVE FRACTION ISOLATION FROM ALANGIUM SALVI FOLIUM, TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA, TERMINALIA CHEBULA AND PAVONIA ZEYLANICA

Karthik Gummadavelli*, Dr. Manish Kumar Mishra, CH. Suresh

ABSTRACT

Background: Medicinal plants are rich sources of bioactive phytochemicals with significant antioxidant potential. A comparative evaluation of their phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity is essential for identifying promising natural sources of therapeutic compounds. Objective: This study aimed to compare the phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, and bioactive fractions of the ethanolic extracts of Alangium Salvi folium, Tinospora cordifolia, Terminalia chebula, and Pavonia zeylanica. Methods: The selected medicinal plants were subjected to physicochemical evaluation, preliminary phytochemical screening, and Soxhlet extraction using petroleum ether, ethanol, and water. Antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extracts was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging assay, reducing power assay, total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC). Bioactive fractions were isolated by silica gel column chromatography and characterized by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Results: Ethanolic extracts showed the highest extraction efficiency and contained abundant phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and glycosides. Among the investigated plants, Terminalia chebula exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity with the lowest DPPH IC₅₀ value (39.85 μg/mL), highest total phenolic content (74.3 ± 2.8 mg GAE/g extract), highest total flavonoid content (56.4 ± 2.1 mg QE/g extract), and superior reducing power. Column chromatographic separation successfully isolated antioxidant-rich fractions, with A7 (A. Salvi folium), B9 (T. cordifolia), C6 (T. chebula), and D7 (P. zeylanica) demonstrating the greatest antioxidant activities. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the investigated medicinal plants possess significant antioxidant potential, with Terminalia chebula showing the highest activity. The isolated bioactive fractions provide promising candidates for further phytochemical characterization and development of plant-derived antioxidant therapeutics.

Keywords: Alangium Salvi folium, Tinospora cordifolia, Terminalia chebula, Pavonia zeylanica, antioxidant activity, phytochemical screening, DPPH assay, column chromatography.