A Study on Phytochemical and Antioxidant Pattern in Costus Pictus

Costus Pictus is a recently introduced plant from Mexico has shown its potential as herbal drug for diabetes. In the present study different solvents acetone, hexane, hot water extracts were prepared from leaves and they were subjected to phytochemical screening, and antioxidant studies. Phytochemical analysis in different solvent leaf extracts of C. Pictus inferred it was a good source of multiple phytoconstituents. The preliminary phytochemical tests indicated the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, phytosterols, phenolics and carbohydrates in various extracts of leaves of C. Pictus. Total phenolics, tannins and flavonoid contents were analyzed in successively extracted leaf sample. In vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by chemical assays, such as DPPH, ABTS, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), phosphomolybdenum reduction assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging and metal chelating activity. The acetone leaf extract revealed the highest total phenolics, total tanninand flavonoid contents.