Contribution To Pharmacognostical Standardization And Evaluation Of Antioxidant Activity Of Seed Extracts Of Ensete Glaucum (Roxb.) Cheesman

Abstract

Ensete glaucum seeds are commonly known as an herbal traditional medicine with many therapeutic potentials. Phytochemical analysis and standardization of herbal remedies are solicitations that should be elaborated to prepare the formulation of phytopharmaceutical preparations. This study was designed to investigate raw materials and potential crude extract of E. glaucum seeds for phytochemicals by qualitative chemical tests and standardization using purity content, chemical characterizations, thin layer chromatography (TLC), total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents to assess the quality. Besides, antioxidant activity of E. glaucum seed extracts was also evaluated using in vitro models including DPPH quenching, ABTS cation decolorization, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. Results showed that physicochemical parameters for E. glaucum seeds were within prescribed Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia 5th edition limits. Phytochemical analysis of E. glaucum seeds revealed the presence of lipids, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanosides, and coumarins, especially the presence of polyphenols and flavonoids by TLC profile. The TPC was 6.36 ± 0.10 mg GAE/g d. w. and 166.84 ± 3.08 mg GAE/g d. w. for the raw materials and potential crude extract respectively while the TFC was 3.68 ± 0.27 mg QE/g d. w. and 105.28 ± 2.20 mg QE/g d. w.. Furthermore, the crude extracts of E. glaucum seeds have high radical scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities. These initial studies play a pivotal role in the procurement of raw materials and evaluation of the quality of the crude extract when these are being used as ingredients to make herbal formulations. The antioxidant potential of E. glaucum seeds can be valuable for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical purposes.