PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS EXTRACTS OF THE WHOLE PLANT OF SWERTIA CHIRATA

Abstract

Swertia chirata is a temperate Himalayan medicinal plant used as a potent herbal drug in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of diseases that are linked to oxidative stress. This study systematically compares phytochemical profiles and antioxidant capacities across four solvent extracts (petroleum ether, n-hexane, methanol, water) of whole Swertia chirata, addressing the lack of standardized extraction and IC₅₀ data needed for pharmaceutical formulation. Phytochemical screening detected terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, carbohydrates, steroids, proteins, and amino acids. This study demonstrates that methanolic whole-plant Swertia chirata extract exhibits potent DPPH radical scavenging (IC₅₀ = 17.79 µg/ml), comparable to standard antioxidants, and provides a reproducible solvent-based extraction protocol for standardization in pharmaceutical applications. The study's findings indicate that the entire plant of Swertia chirata contains several bioactive phytochemicals that are highly effective in combating free radicals. The methanolic extract exhibited notable DPPH radical scavenging activity in vitro, warranting further investigation of cellular antioxidant mechanisms and bioactive compound identification.