Antioxidant properties, phenolics and flavonoids content of some economically important plants from North-west Indian Himalaya

Abstract

The present study investigated antioxidant properties, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in methanol extract of the leaf, stem bark, and fruit of Olea ferruginea Royle, Olea europaea L., and Tilia europaea L. grow naturally in the north-west Indian Himalaya. Phenolics and flavonoids content was found to be maximum in methanol extracts of stem bark and leaf (9.28 mg GAE/g fw and 14.73 mg QE/g fw, respectively) of O. ferruginea plants. Ferric reducing antioxidant power and DPPH radical scavenging activity were found to be maximum in leaf and stem bark (38.88 mM AAE/g fw and 20.31 mM AAE/g fw, respectively) of O. ferrugenia plants, whereas maximum ABTS radical scavenging activity (4.52 mM AAE/g fw) was recorded with stem bark of T. europaea plants. These tree species were found rich in natural compounds and also possess antioxidant activities. Therefore, their pharmaceutical and local uses for the health benefits are suggested.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Phenolics
• flavonoids
• in-vitro antioxidant assays
• tree species
• Indian Himalaya

Acknowledgements

The research facilities and financial support (in-house project no-19) for the present work, provided by the Director, G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal Almora, 263462, are gratefully acknowledged by the authors. We are also grateful to Prof. N K Dubey, Head, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, for his help in identification of plant species.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest for this publication.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by G B Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development.