PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF JUSTICIA TRANQUEBARIENSIS AND BAUHINIA RACEMOSA
AbstractIntroduction: The phytochemicals in medicinal plants are defined as bioactive non-nutrient plant compounds in fruits, vegetables, and grains that have been linked to reducing the risk of major chronic diseases. The medicinal plant is promising to have such have effective medicinal property due to the presence of phytochemical compounds like alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. The present study aimed to find the phytochemicals present in hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Justicia tranqubarieansis and Bauhinia racemosa and also find out the antioxidant property of these plant extracts. Methods: Chemical methods identified phytochemicals present in the hexane and ethyl acetate extract of Justicia tranqubarieansis and Bauhinia racemosa. The antioxidant property was done by DPPH free radical scavenging method. Results: In Justicia tranqubarieansis, hexane extract showed positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, and coumarins. Ethyl acetate extract showed positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, coumarins, and steroids. The hexane extract of Bauhinia racemosa showed positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, quinines, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, and coumarins. Ethyl acetate extract showed positive for flavonoids, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, coumarins, and steroids. Ethyl acetate showed better extraction of phyto-chemicals than hexane. Hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Justicia tranqubarieansis exhibited 66% and 90% respectively of free radical scavenging activity at a concentration of 150 µg. Extracts of Bauhinia racemosa showed less antioxidant activity. Conclusion: This study suggests that the Justicia tranqubarieansis extracts have good antioxidant property, which might help prevent of slowing the progress of diseases involved as a result of oxidative stress.