PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION, AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF CASSIA SPECTABILIS EXTRACTS
Seema Wadhwani, I. K. Yadav, Vivek Gupta
ABSTRACT
The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potential of various extracts of Cassia spectabilis. Physicochemical parameters such as ash values and moisture content were determined to assess the purity and quality of the crude drug. The extractive value analysis revealed that the aqueous extract showed the highest yield, indicating the predominance of polar constituents. Preliminary phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins, and carbohydrates, especially in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Quantitative estimation demonstrated that the ethanolic extract possessed the highest total phenolic (0.75 mg GAE/100 mg) and flavonoid (0.96 mg QE/100 mg) content. The antioxidant potential of the extracts was evaluated using DPPH, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide radical scavenging assays. The ethanolic extract exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity with IC?? values of 71.51 µg/mL (DPPH), 278.39 µg/mL (H?O?), and 68.25 µg/mL (NO), as compared to the standard ascorbic acid. These findings suggest that Cassia spectabilis possesses potent antioxidant activity, which may be attributed to its high content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, supporting its traditional use as a medicinal plant with therapeutic potential against oxidative stress–related disorders.
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