PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF SWERTIA CHIRAYITA: ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIDIABETIC, AND TLC FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS

Natural products from medicinal plants remain a valuable source of therapeutic drugs. The current study was designed to assess the phytochemical content, in-vitro antioxidant properties and antidiabetic activity, and also chromatographic fingerprint of the ethanolic extract of Swertia chirayita. Phytochemical screening of the extract confirmed the presence of various secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids. Quantitative analysis of the phytochemicals showed that the ethanolic extract had higher flavonoid and phenolic compound content than the aqueous extract. Antioxidant activity of the extract was determined by the DPPH radical scavenging and metal chelating methods, which showed strong free radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, the α-amylase inhibition assay showed strong antidiabetic activity, suggesting that the plant extract may be useful in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analysis of the extract showed the presence of various phytochemicals with different Rf values, suggesting the presence of compounds with varying polarity. The findings of this study demonstrate the pharmacological significance of Swertia chirayita and its potential use as a natural source of antioxidants and antidiabetic agents.