Comparative analysis of nutraceutical potential phytochemicals and antioxidant activities in different parts of wild and in vitro regenerated plantlets of Dendrobium heterocarpum Wall. ex Lindl.: A medicinal orchid

Abstract

A comparative study on certain nutraceutical compounds viz., total phenol, flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid and antioxidant activities in different wild plant parts and in vitro regenerated plants of Dendrobium heterocarpum revealed presence of differential quantity of nutraceutical compounds. Higher total phenolic content was in 3 years old pseudobulbs (15.98 GAE/g) followed by tissue culture plants (14.18 mg GAE/g); flavonoid content in tissue culture regenerates (38.38 mg QE/g) followed by young leaves (27.27 mg QE/g); tannin from tissue culture plants (41.48 mg TA/g) followed by 3 years old pseudobulbs and alkaloid in tissue culture plants (8.78 mg AE/g) followed by 1 year old pseudobulbs (7.57 mg AE/g). The antioxidant activities of different extracts in 3 years old pseudobulbs and tissue culture plants were comparable. Total phenol and flavonoid correlations with DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS showed the strongest correlation between TPC and ABTS (y=-0.017x+20.29, R2=0.933); TPC and DPPH (y =-5.383x+21.97, R2=0.928).