Efficacy of extraction solvents in phytochemical analysis of Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce

Abstract

Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce is used as a remedy in folk medicine and health foods in Northeast India. Whole leaf or leaf extracts of this plant are utilized by the tribal natives of the study region. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of B. lanceolaria extracts obtained using four different solvents of different polarity: hexane, chloroform, methanol and water. B. lanceolaria’s leaf extracts were analyzed for total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity. Total phenols and flavonoids were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and Aluminium chloride via colorimetry. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging assay. Extracts obtained with highly polar solvents had higher levels of phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant activity compared to those obtained with non-polar solvents. The polarity-dependent increase in antioxidant activity indicates that extracts prepared in high polarity solvents hold strong antioxidant compounds. The findings of this research indicate that polar solvents are more efficient than non-polar solvents for extracting phytochemicals from B. lanceolaria leaves, a natural source of antioxidants.