Phytochemical Screening and Determination of Antioxidant Activity of Rhizome of Acorus Calamus

Abstract

Phytochemical screening is an important step which leads to the isolation of new and novel compounds. Plant Acorus calamus plays a pivotal role in folk medicine. The present study was conducted with the main purpose of phytochemical screening and evaluation of antioxidant properties rhizome extracts of A. calamus. Rhizome of A. calamus was subjected to successive solvent extraction by continuous hot extraction (Soxhlet) with methanol. The major phytochemicals found in methanol extracts of rhizome of A. calamus were, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, proteins & amino acids, reducing sugars, saponins, steroids, phenolic compounds/tannins, and terpenoids. quantitative estimation of phytochemicals in methanolic extract of rhizome of A. calamus revealed that flavonoid quantity found to be highest (34.98 GAE) followed by total phenols (25.80 GAE), tannins (3.01 GAE) and carbohydrates (8.68 GAE). the IC50 values exhibited by methanolic extracts of rhizome of A. calamus was found to 6.01 µg/mL. In conclusion, this preliminary study confirms that the A. calamus has vide variety of secondary metabolites. Biological activity such as antioxidant properties of methanolic extracts of rhizome of A. calamus depicted that A. calamus could be potential drug agent of folk medicines.