Isolation, structural elucidation and in vitro antioxidant activity of compounds from chloroform extract of Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) Loud.

Abstract

This study was designed to isolate, characterise and explore in vitro antioxidant potential of compounds from the chloroform extract of Cedrus deodara wood belonging to Pinacae family. We have investigated the in vitro free radical scavenging activity of isolated compounds by measuring total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and reducing power ability. From the chloroform extract five sesquiterpenes namely atlantone, himaphenolone, atlantolone, deodardione and atlantone-2,3-diol were identified. Himaphenolone and deodardione from the chloroform extract of this plant have been isolated for the first time. A marked dose-dependent reducing power and strong TAC were found in favour of himaphenolone and atlantone-2,3-diol, respectively. Moreover, deodardione and atlantolone also exhibit good antioxidant potentials. However, atlantone has showed least antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the chloroform extract of C. deodara exhibited significant antioxidant potential mainly due to the presence of sesquiterpenes which may be responsible for various pharmacological activities of this plant.

Keywords::

• Cedrus deodara
• sesquiterpenes
• himaphenolone
• deodardione
• total antioxidant capacity
• reducing power assay

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Prof. (Dr) Umesh Kumar Singh, Dr Anurag, Dr Manish Sinha and Mr Mandeep Kumar Arora for their technical support. The authors are also truly grateful to the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, for providing the spectral analysis of the compounds.