ABSTRACT:
Adhatoda vasica, a traditionally vital medicinal plant, is used extensively in the treatment of cold cough, asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis and skin diseases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), free radical scavenging activity and Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis of ethyl acetate extract of Adhatoda vasica leaf, stem and flower for the presence of some medicinally vital phytocomponents. The preliminary phytochemical analysis of extracts of leaf, stem and flower of Adhatoda confirms the presence of flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, aldehydes and ketones. The highest total phenolic content was obtained in extract of Adhatoda vasica stem followed by leaf and flower extracts and highest total flavonoid content was found in flower extract followed by leaf and stem extracts. The maximum inhibition of free radical scavenging activity was observed in the flower extract, followed by leaf and stem extract. In GC-MS profiling, different plant parts showed the presence of medicinally important compounds possessing antimicrobial, antitumour and anti-inflammatory activities. Thus, the present study provides an important source for the biological characterization and importance of the compounds identified in methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica leaf, stem and flower.