Background: The use of traditional medicinal plants by developing and developed countries has become a common practice for the primary health care, which possess chemical substances known as bioactive compounds.
Methods: The present study was designed to find out the bioactive chemical components of medicinal plants from Parbat district of western Nepal used by ethnic groups. For this study, Protein, carbohydrate, phenol, saponin, glycosides, steriod, terpenoids, alkaloids and flavonoids of active parts of different extracts of medicinal plants traditionally used in medicine, belonging to different families were assessed for the qualitative phytochemical analysis using a standard protocol. Similarly, DPPH assay was performed to estimate the antioxidant properties of the plants.
Results: The preliminary qualitative phytochemical study showed the presence of alkaline, protein, carbohydrate, alkaloids, phenol, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steriod, terpenoids and flavonoids. The highest percentage of the plants containing phenol (90.62%), steroid (81.25%), saponin (78.12%) and Alkaloids (53.12%) showing that the collected medicinal plants are actively can be used for the medicinal purposes. The IC50 value ranges from higher 33.00 μg/ml in Potentilla fulgens to lowest 9.52 μg/ml in Piper longum. The first group has extremely high inhibition activity (9µg/ml<IC50<15µg/ml); moderate activity (15µg/ml<IC50<25); low activity (IC50 >25µg/ml). Piper longum and Camellia kissi (9.52 µg/ml and 9.81 µg/ml, respectively) showed IC50 values very much comparable to Ascorbic Acid (10.169 mg/ml), the standard.
Conclusion: Phytochemical analysis of extracts revealed the presence of phenol, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, alkaloids. Results indicated that a number of plants are rich in phenolics and thus exhibited highest antioxidant and reducing activities. Total phenolic content had positive correlation with antioxidant capacity.
