INFLUENCE OF ALTITUDE ON THE PHYTOCONSTITUENTS AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES OF TECTONA GRANDIS

The present study deals with the variations observed in quantity of phyto constituents in the leaves of Tectona grandis which were collected from different altitudes; Chikmagalur (3,400 feet)(TGC) and Mangalore (72 ft)(TGM) representing the higher altitude and lower altitude respectively. Phytochemical variations due to different regions were studied by quantification of total phenolic acids and total flavonoid content. Antioxidant activity of the two extract was carried out using DPPH .The results reveal that the amount of total phenolic acids and the flavonoids was more in case of the leaves collected from the higher altitude. The leaves collected from the higher altitude exhibited better antioxidant activity, which was attributed to the difference in the quantity of phytoconstituents in the two extracts. This study, to a certain extent gives proof that altitude is one of the environmental factors that can influence the quantity of phytochemicals. Key words: Tectona grandis, altitude, anti-oxidant, DPPH.