Abstract

PHYTOCONSTITUENT ANALYSIS OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACT OF NIGELLA SATIVA (BLACK CARAWAY) SEEDS BY HPLC TECHNIQUE.

*Parveen W. and Subhashini A.

Abstract

Natural products chemistry has experienced explosive and diversified growth, making natural products the subject of much interest and promise in the present day research directed towards drug design and drug discovery. Nigella sativa L. (Black cumin) is an annual herbaceous plant, belongs to family Ranunculaceae. Thymoquinone is the major active principle of Nigella sativa seeds and is known to have Antimicrobial activities. The present study has been designed to identify Thymoquinone in Supercritical fluid Carbon dioxide extraction (SCFE-CO2) of Nigella sativa L. seeds. Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, steroids and terpenoids. Extracts were subjected to Silica gel-G coated TLC plate with Hexane: Ethyl acetate (90:10 v/v) as developing solvents. The RF value for Thymoquinone was found to be 0.81 and the results were compared with Standards. Phytoconstituents analysis and quantification of (SCFE-CO2) was carried out by HPLC on a ZORBAX eclipse plus C18 (4.6 x 250mm, 5μm) column, using isocratic mobile phase of Water:Methonal:2-Proponol (50:45:5% v/v) at a flow rate of 1ml/min. The elution was detected at 254nm. The HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of Thymoquinone (Area 96.84) and other secondary metabolites in SCFE-CO2 Extract of Nigella sativa L. seeds.

Keywords: Supercritical fluid Carbon dioxide Extraction, Thin layer chromatography, High performance Liquid chromatography, Retention factor, Retention Time.