PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF JASMINUM OFFICINALE LEAVES

Medicinal Plants are endowed with phytochemicals that are vital to counter various metabolic disorders like Oxidative damage in cells causing various degenerative diseases. Hence, the present study deals with the assessment of antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract of Jasminum officinale leaves. Antioxidant potential was evaluated in vitro using free radical scavenging assays for DPPH, NO, superoxide and ABTS radicals in addition to Reducing Power assessment. The total phenolic, flavonoid and flavonol contents of the extract were also assessed using standard procedures. The phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids and its glycosides in addition to saponins and coumarins. A positive correlation between the inhibition of free radicals and concentration of the extract suggests significant antioxidant potential of the extract. The IC₅₀ values for DPPH, NO, superoxide and ABTS radicals were 41.16, 30.29, 20.19, and 29.48 µg/ml respectively as compared to the standard, ascorbic acid, having 42.79, 36.74, 38.22, and 45.57 µg/ml, for the same radicals. It is interesting to note that the extract has shown higher reducing ability as compared to the standard ascorbic acid. Thus, findings confirm its use in folkloric medicines and hence, it could be explored further for the development of a novel antioxidant agent due to its significant antioxidant potential