PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF EXTRACT FROM THE LEAVES OF LEBANESE DATURA METEL L

Ali Jaber*, Lamis Al-Harakeh, Ghassan Ibrahim and Edmond Cheble

ABSTRACT

Leaf extracts of Datura metel, obtained from south Lebanon, were tested for phytochemical and antioxidant activities. The phytochemical screening of extract revealed the presence of some alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and steroids. Quantitative determination of Essential Oils content was conducted by hydrodistillation, while total alkaloids are determined by gravimetric method. Whereas total phenolics, total flavonoids, and in vitro antioxidant activities (DPPH and reducing power assay) of methanolic extract were carried out using colorimetric methods. The total phenolic content, expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per gram of dry weight, was found to be 5.97 ± 0.7 mg GAE/g. The radical scavenging activity measurement, expressed in terms of IC50, was found to be 400.36 ± 9.07 μg.mL-1. These extracts also showed marked reducing power using the potassium ferricyanide reduction method. Consequently, the Datura metel plants studied would be considered as promising sources of bioactive phytochemicals. Further investigations are a must to evaluate other biological activities of this plant.

Keywords: Datura metel L., Total alkaloids, Total phenolics, Total flavonoids, Antioxidant activity.