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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp4 (2026): National Symposium on Recent Advances in Life Sciences

Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant potential of Cyathodium cavernarum Kunze ex Lehm. from Rajasthan, India

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12876
Submitted
23 November 2025
Published
19-06-2026

Abstract

Bryophytes are increasingly recognised as potential sources of bioactive compounds; however, their phytochemical composition remains insufficiently explored. The present study investigates the phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of Cyathodium cavernarum Kunze ex Lehm., a thalloid liverwort collected from Mount Abu and Ranthambore regions of Rajasthan, India. Sequential extraction was carried out using solvents of varying polarity, namely n-hexane, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of major secondary metabolites, including phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids, predominantly in polar extracts. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE), while total flavonoid content (TFC) was estimated using the aluminium chloride method and expressed as quercetin equivalents (QE). Antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide scavenging assay (NOSA). Among the extracts, the methanolic fraction exhibited the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents along with the strongest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 31.04 µg/mL for DPPH and 29.04 µg/mL for NOSA), followed by ethyl acetate. In contrast, non-polar extracts (n-hexane and diethyl ether) showed comparatively low phytochemical content and weak antioxidant activity. The findings indicate that C. cavernarum is a promising source of natural antioxidants, with its bioactivity largely associated with phenolic and flavonoid constituents. However, further studies involving compound isolation, additional antioxidant assays and broader bioactivity evaluation are required to substantiate its therapeutic potential.

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