Abstract

PROXIMATE ANALYSIS, PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF TAGETES ERECTA LEAVES

Sumaiya Akhter, Md. Towhidul Islam and Md. Tanvir Hossain*

Abstract

Petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water extract of Bangladeshi Tagetes erecta leaves investigated for proximate analysis, phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity tests. The moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash and water soluble ash value were 14.6%, 15.6%, 6.03% and 6.69% respectively. Water extract exhibited higher extractive value among four extracts. Phytochemical evaluation of methanol and water extracts confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, reducing sugars, saponins, glycosides and proteins & amino acids. For the evaluation of antioxidant activity, three complementary test systems namely reducing power assay, total antioxidant capacity, reduction of ferric ion activity determination methods were used. Methanol extract revealed higher reducing power (1.538±0.011), petroleum ether revealed higher total antioxidant capacity (440 AAE/g) and chloroform extracts revealed higher ferric ion chelating activity than other extracts at 500 μg/ml concentration.

Keywords: Tagetes erecta, proximate analysis, phytochemicals, Antioxidant.