PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, TOTAL PHENOLICS, FLAVONOID CONTENT AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF BETULA UTILIS D. DON FROM KASHMIR HIMALAYA

The aim of this study was to compare the phytochemical composition, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC) and antioxidant activity of aerial and underground parts of Betula utilis. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the three parts indicates the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phytosterols, tannins, terpenoids, phenols, proteins, amino acids, anthraquinone glycosides and steroids. Total phenolic content determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method ranged from 0.03 ± 0.003 to 33.6 ± 2.1, 0.34 ± 0.02 to 23.6 ± 0.67 and 0.08 ± 0.005 to 16.9 ± 1.9 mg/g of dry weight of roots, leaf and bark extracts, respectively, expressed as gallic acid equivalents. The total flavonoid contents as measured by aluminium chloride method ranges from 0.2 ± 0.003 to 7.3 ± 0.31, 0.3 ± 0.08 to 4.3 ± 0.08 and 0.3 ± 0.008 to 1.3 ± 0.03 mg/g of dry weight of leaves, bark and root extracts respectively, expressed as rutin equivalents. The results showed that TPC and TFC values were higher in methanol extract of root (33.6 ± 2.1) and leaves (7.3 ± 0.31). The antioxidant capacities in the forms of DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) were evaluated by spectrophotometric methods. A direct correlation between total phenolic content of leaves and free radical scavenging activity was revealed (r = 0.72).