Salient Features:Plants produce many chemical compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, proteins and amino acids etc. Plants have always been the center of attention in the history of traditional medicine. It is because of the fact that they can produce vital molecules which can be used either directly or in modified form to cure a number of diseases. There are many species of plants used as traditional medicines which contain potential candidate compounds for the development of drugs.

Research Objectives:The objective of this research project is to find out the antioxidant capacity (total soluble phenolic content, total soluble flavonoid content, antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging activity) of a medicinal plant from Pakistan origin by using universally accepted procedures as well as isolation and structure elucidation of the bioactive compounds from that plant.

Technical Methodology:The dried plant will be cleaned, chopped and subjected to extraction. The crude extract will be used for the quantitative determination of its total soluble phenolic content, total soluble flavonoid content, antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging activity.

Total soluble phenolic content will be determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. A standard curve plot will be plotted to determine the total soluble phenolic contents of the plant extract in terms of µg equivalents of the standard used.

Total soluble flavonoid content will be determined by a linear regression analysis. The amount of total soluble flavonoid content in the crude extract will be determined and expressed as µg equivalents of the standard used.

Antioxidant activity will be determined by linear regression analysis. The total antioxidant activity of the crude extract will be expressed as µg equivalents of the standard used.

Free radical scavenging activity will be determined by DPPH method. By using standard curve, the IC₅₀ value for the plant extract will be calculated. This IC₅₀ value will be compared with the IC₅₀ value of the standard. This comparison with the standard will show the extent of free radical scavenging ability of the crude extract.

After the determination of antioxidant capacity, the crude extract of the plant will be tested for its bioactivity by using suitable bioassays. The plant extract will then be subjected to fractionation by multi fractionation approach using column chromatography. The structure of the resulting pure compounds from the fractions will be elucidated by using spectroscopic techniques such as NMR and MS.

Step Wise Research Plan:

Step 1- Collection and preparation of the plant

Step 2- Extraction of the crude extract

Step 3- Testing of the crude extract for its bioactivity by using a suitable bioassay

Step 4- Determination of antioxidant capacity of the crude extract

Step 5 –Bioassay guided fractionation by using column chromatography

Step 6- Structure elucidation of the isolated bioactive compounds from the plant extract

Step 7-Manuscript drafting for a suitable journal