Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activity Study of Methanol Extract of Stems and Roots of Codonopsis clematidea from Trans-himalayan Region

Aim: The present report aimed to study the therapeutic and phytochemical properties of stems and roots of trans-himalayan plant Codonopsis clematidea. Material and Methods: The crude samples of stems and roots were explored for their chlorophyll, carotenoid and carbohydrate content in order to understand the matrix of these two plant parts. The extraction of phytochemicals was carried out by three different methods viz. sonication, maceration and soxhlet in methanol to identify the best extraction method. Further, analysis of Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) and Total Polyphenolic Content (TPC) were carried out using rutin trihydrate and gallic acid as a reference standard. Antioxidant capacity was estimated using three methods viz. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. In addition to this, GC-MS analysis was also performed for the identification of volatile constituents of Methanol Extract of Stems (MES) and Methanol Extract of Roots (MER). Results: The MES and Dimethylsulfoxide Extract of Stems (DES) were found to have higher Chlorophyll a (Cha) content in comparison to Chlorophyll b (Chb) and Carotenoids (Cca). Carbohydrate profile showed that stems and roots have the highest content of fructose in comparison to other sugar moieties. The soxhlet method showed the highest percentage extractive yield in the stems as well as roots. Results revealed that the MES showed higher antioxidant potential as compared to the MER. A correlation has also found to exist between the results of TPC, TFC and antioxidant assays, since TPC and TFC are key constituents responsible for the antioxidant potential. Conclusion: These results have been found to suggest the richness of MES in natural phenols, flavonoids and antioxidants. Further, study should be conducted over identification and characterization of compounds present in the extract.