Abstract

Ophiorrhiza jacobii, is a therapeutically less explored species, belonging to the family Rubiaceae and endemic to the Western Ghats. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential and chemical composition of the methanolic extract of the plant Ophiorrhiza jacobii using various in vitro methods and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis respectively. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of numerous bioactive secondary metabolites like phenols, terpenoids, sterols and tannins that might contribute to the medicinal properties of the plant. The maximum percentage inhibition obtained in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, nitric oxide and superoxide radical scavenging assays were 72.01 %±0.79 %, 70.24 %±0.90 %, 67.37 %±1.20 % and 76.00 %±1.07 % respectively. In all the assays, a dose-dependent increase in free radical scavenging activity was exhibited by the plant extract and the percentage inhibition of the radicals showed that the plant possesses significant antioxidant capacity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed several antioxidant compounds like phytol, vitamin E, stigmasterol, solanesol and n-hexadecanoic acid suggesting that the plant can be a potential source of natural antioxidant to treat various ailments related to oxidative stress. Till date, no literature is available on the evaluation of the medicinal properties of Ophiorrhiza jacobii and this study forms the first report on the antioxidant potential and chemical composition of the plant. The presence of terpenoids, phytosterols, terpene alcohols, fatty acids and their esters, also suggests that the plant can be a novel source for the development of new therapeutic agents to treat various health disorders.