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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025)

Phytochemical characterization by GC-MS and in vitro evaluation of antioxidant potential of Walsura piscidia Roxb. leaves extract

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.8653
Submitted
3 April 2025
Published
25-06-2025 — Updated on 01-07-2025
Versions

Abstract

Walsura piscidia Roxb. (Family: Meliaceae) is currently known for rich sources of bioactive compounds with growing multiple therapeutic and medicinal importance. The main objectives of this study were to characterize the phytochemical profile of the leaves of W. piscidia by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), followed by the evaluation of its antioxidant potential by quantifying the amounts of phenols and flavonoids present within the extracts, through the existing methods of detection. The extractive yield calculated after Soxhlet extraction was seen to be higher for the ethanolic extract with a value of 21.9 %, followed by the methanolic extracts (21.06 %) and the qualitative phytochemical tests gave similar classes of phytochemicals like triterpenoids, phenolic compounds and tannins in the methanolic and ethanolic extracts. The total phenolic content was seen to be higher in the ethanolic extract with a value of 26.192 ± 0.401 mg GAE/g and the total flavonoid content was seen to be higher in the methanolic extract with a value of 42.972 ± 0.214 mg QE/g. The methanolic extract showed promising results in the antioxidant assays with a significantly low IC50 value in DPPH assay and high ferric reducing power in ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The GC-MS chromatograms showed almost similar compounds for both the methanolic and ethanolic leaf extracts, some important ones being n-Hexadecanoic acid, stigmasterol, campesterol, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, etc, displaying properties of interest like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, etc. This work contributes to our better understanding of the medicinal properties of the leaves of W. piscidia and has also provided a strong scientific basis to the traditional usage claims of this tree.

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