A study of polyphenolic compounds and in vitro antioxidant activity of Trianthema portulacastrum Linn. extracts

Trianthema portulacastrum Linn. is an exotic plant growing as weed in Africa, Southeast Asia and tropical America. Chemical fingerprinting under the present study was undertaken to characterize the polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activities present in the plant.

Several in vitro antioxidant assays were performed to evaluate the antioxidant activities in aqueous, alcoholic and hydroalcoholic extracts. Characterization of polyphenolic compounds was done by HPLC and GCMS analyses.

Total phenols, flavonoids and total antioxidant activity as assessed by DPPH, ABTS and total antioxidant capacity assays was found to be maximum in hydroethanolic extract of the plant. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechin hydrate, vanillic acid, epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, rutin, salicylic acid, myricetin, quercetin and trans-cinnamic acid in plant extracts being maximum in hydroethanolic followed by aqueous, hydromethanolic, ethanolic and then methanolic extracts. Catechin, epicatechin, rutin, myricetin and quercetin were main flavonoid compounds in most of the plant extracts. GCMS analysis also confirmed the presence of several other antioxidants. Based on the findings of the phytochemical analyses and in vitro antioxidative studies, it can be clearly established that Trianthema portulacastrum has rich amounts of potent polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds having antioxidant properties.