QUANTIFICATION OF TOTAL PHENOLS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN CLEMATIS ERECTA AERIAL PARTS

The present investigation was planned to estimate total phenols and antioxidant activity in Clematis erecta aerial parts. Properly identified powdered plant was successively extracted in Soxhlet apparatus with solvents in order of increasing polarity viz., petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water. Ethyl acetate fraction and 1-butanol fraction of methanol extract were prepared using standardized procedure. Quantification of phenols was done on the basis of standard curve of gallic acid using standardized procedures. In vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH assay in comparison to standard drug rutin. Maximum phenols content and antioxidant activity was found in ethyl acetate fraction followed by methanol extract and 1-butanol fraction, whereas negligible phenols content and antioxidant activity was observed in petroleum ether, chloroform and water extracts. The available literature reveals that polyphenols have been reported to possess antioxidant properties. Finally, it can be concluded that these polyphenols may be responsible for antioxidant properties.