ABSTRACT:
Since time immemorial, people are searching nature especially plants for hunt of new medicinal products. This search has resulted in the identification of potent applications of many medicinal plants for treating various disorders and ailments. Most of the medicines for primary health care involve the use of plant extracts. Secondary metabolites or phytochemicals are chemical substances secreted by plants during their usual metabolic processes and plants use them as a defense mechanism in order to protect themselves during extreme conditions. Azadirachta indica popularly known as Neem is evenly spread in India and its neighboring countries since ancient times as one of the most potent conventional medicinal plant since it is a source of numerous therapeutic components. Calotropis procera belonging to the family: Asclepiadaceae, commonly known as “aak” in India is used as a herbal medicine by human population since ancient times. It has many potent biological activities and hence can be used as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiarthritic, antihelminthic, wound healer, anticandidal, anticonvulsant, antiasthmatic, hepatoprotective, and antitumor agent. The present study is thus focused on phytochemical analysis and estimation of anti-oxidant activity of leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica and Calotropis procera in different solvent systems. The leaf extracts in five different solvent systems (DMSO, Ethanol, Petroleum Ether, Chloroform, Ethyl Acetate) were evaluated qualitatively as well as quantitatively for different phytochemicals. Ethanol acts as better solvent for extraction of hydrosylable tannins as well as for DPPH scavenging activity. Total phenolics was extracted most efficiently in DMSO among all other solvents. The present study thus concluded that polarity of solvent decides the efficient extraction of phytochemicals.