ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SALACIA CHINENSIS AND ITS EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

Salacia chinensisis, commonly known as Saptarangi in the Hindi family of Hippocrateaceae, it is a woody climbing shrub found in Africa, Vietnam, and Thailand. A large number of biologically active compounds like salacinol, kotalanol, neokotalanol, neosalacinol, salasol, and mangiferin are isolated from S. chinensis. Traditionally, the plant is used in the treatment of diabetes, but there are few studies that demonstrate its use as anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective, anticancer, and treatment of cardiac disorders. The present study involves extraction, isolation, structural elucidation, and prediction of antioxidant activity from the roots of S. chinensis. The roots were extracted with water and methanol by using a hot extraction method. The methanol extract was fractionated with ethyl acetate. The antioxidant activity of different extracts was determined by 1, 1-diphenyl-2- picryl- hydrazyl (DPPH) method. The highest antioxidant activity was found in ethyl acetate extract, followed by methanol extract and water extract. Ethyl acetate extract showed maximum antioxidant activity, so the extract was used for the isolation of antioxidant compounds by column chromatography. The compound was isolated from the Salacia chinensis with higher yield and new technique. The compound isolated was characterized as 25, 26-oxido friedelane 1, 3-dione, and was elucidated using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and MS. The study shows that the obtained pure compound could be a good source of natural antioxidants.