Phytochemical investigation and evaluation of anti-oxidant potential of Berberis lycium roots from Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Berberis lycium, a thorny evergreen shrub, commonly known as kashmal, found in subtropical and temperate regions of the world and mentioned in Indian traditional system of medicine. The present study deals with the preliminary phytochemical evaluation of different extracts of roots of B. lycium, isolation and identification of bioactive constituents from root extracts, its fractions and evaluation of their anti-oxidant potential by using hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging assay and reducing power assay. Extracts were fractionated and screened for their phytochemicals which resulted in isolation and identification of Stigmasterol (steroid), berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine (alkaloids), 4-methyl-7-hydroxycoumarin (coumarin) and 4,4-dimethylhexadeca-3-ol, responsible for the good anti-oxidant potential of the roots of B. lycium.