Phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of extracts of Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl. from Uttarakhand Himalayan region

The medicinal traits of Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl. have been used in traditional and folklore medicinal system, however, scientific evaluation of such medicinal plants have not been much explored yet. Different solvent extracts of the whole plant of C. macrophylla from the Himalayan region are the key subject of interest to evaluate and exhibit their antioxidant properties concerning its phytochemical composition. The different polarity extracts of C. macrophylla were prepared using the Soxhlet apparatus and both of their GC-MS profile outlined their individual components. The antioxidant activity of both extracts was evaluated for DPPH radical scavenging activity, metal chelating activity, and reducing power activity. Thirty-two compounds were identified in the hexane extract, accounting for 63.56% of the total extract composition with tetratetracontane (9.78%), as the prominent compound. A sum of 26 compounds making up 79.74% of the total methanolic extract composition was identified and the major compound was a diterpenoid, trachylobane (31.87%). The methanolic extract exerted potent antioxidant properties when compared, in vitro, to hexane extract as it showed better IC50 values of DPPH radical scavenging activity (91.97 ± 0.33 µg/ml), metal chelating activity (10.90 ± 1.40 µg/ml) and reducing power activity (56.72 ± 0.67 µg/ml). The antioxidant potential of the methanolic extract was also comparable to standards. Therefore, the methanolic extract exhibited better results as compared to hexane extract and had comparable potential with standards in vitro, if further explored might be utilized as an antioxidant agent in various pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.