PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILING AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF FERULA ASAFOETIDA EXTRACTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2025v18i11.56950Keywords:
Ferula asafoetida, hing, oleo-gum resin, phenolics, flavonoids, DPPH, ABTS, antioxidantAbstract
Objectives: Ferula asafoetida (“hing”) contains diverse secondary metabolites, yet the phytochemistry and antioxidant capacity of its 70% ethanolic oleo-gum-resin extract are not well described. This study profiled that extract and quantified antioxidant activity.
Methods: Oleo-gum-resin was Soxhlet-extracted with 70% ethanol. Qualitative phytochemical screening used standard colorimetric/precipitation tests (e.g., FeCl3 for tannins, Dragendorff’s for alkaloids, NaOH/HCl for flavonoids, foam test for saponins, Benedict’s for carbohydrates). Total phenolic content (TPC) (Folin-Ciocalteu) and total flavonoid content (AlCl3 colorimetry) were expressed as μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg and μg quercetin equivalents (QAE)/mg. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ABTS assays against gallic acid, with IC50 derived from concentration-response curves.
Results: Yield was 8.0% w/w. The extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, phenols, terpenoids, and carbohydrates; proteins and anthraquinones were absent. TPC was 29.45±6.60 μg GAE/mg and total flavonoid content was 35.96±4.69 μg QAE/mg. The extract showed dose-dependent scavenging with IC50 336.78±100.0 μg/mL (DPPH) and 221.30±4.73 μg/mL (ABTS), while gallic acid was ~4.3 μg/mL.
Conclusion: The 70% ethanolic oleo-gum-resin extract of F. asafoetida is rich in secondary metabolites and exhibits measurable antioxidant activity, with comparatively stronger performance in ABTS than DPPH. These findings provide a practical baseline for quality control of this extract.
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Copyright (c) 2025 THULLURI SRAVANI PRIYA, KARTHICK SELVARAJ, DIVYA PRAFULLA YERRAGUNTLA, SRAVANA KUMAR S
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