Phytochemical profiling and biological studies of Vitex altissima(L) leaves collected from South Kerala

Abstract

Vitex altissima (L) is one of the major species in Vitex genus of Verbenaecae family and possess traditional importance. Phytochemical profiling, quantification of chemical composition and biological studies of V. altissima are the main aim of this study. Plant leaves were collected from Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Centre (JNTBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram. After soxhlet extraction, the dried and powdered plant materials were extracted sequentially with different solvents (Hexane, chloroform and Methanol), on the basis of their polarity and the extracts were then subjected to phytochemical screening for qualitative checks of the secondary metabolites. Screening results reveals the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic acids and terpenoids. For profiling of these phytochemicals, the leaf extracts were subjected to HPTLC analysis. The biological studies of V. altissima leaf extracts reveals its notable level of antibacterial activity with hexane and chloroform extract in Agar Well Diffusion assay. The methanolic extract shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in DPPH radical scavenging assay and Protein denaturation assay.