Comparative Study on Phytochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Gmelina arborea Roxb. From four Different Geographical Regions

Abstract

In the present study, leaf, bark, twig and root samples of Gmelina arborea (Family: Verbenaceae) are taken from four different geographical regions in and around Tamil Nadu. The samples were subjected to Soxhlet extraction with Methanol (MeOH) and n-Hexane. They were screened for the presence of phytochemicals and their respective concentrations were estimated and compared. Antioxidant activities of the selected samples were tested using 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Assay and Metal Chelation Assay. When compared to n-Hexane, All the samples of Methanol extract showed good concentrations of secondary metabolites, especially high phenol content (8.4- 4.4 mg/ml of MeOH extract). There were significant amounts of Alkaloids (2.6-0.1 mg/ml), Tannins (3- 0.1 mg/ml) and Saponins (8.2-0.2 mg/ml) though their concentration ranges were highly varying from sample to sample. The radical scavenging activity was stable and significant in all the samples from Area-3 and 4 with B3M the highest (71.51%). On a comparative scale, G.arborea samples from Area-3 and 4 (Farmers’ plantations) showed a good amount of phytochemicals and antioxidant potential thus forming a good line of trees for selection and breeding.