Evaluation of Phytoconstituents and Hepatoprotective Activity (In-Vitro) of Flower Extract of Hippaeastrum Vittatum

Abstract

The present study investigates the phytochemical profile and in-vitro hepatoprotective potential of the flower extract of Hippeastrum vittatum. Fresh flowers were collected, authenticated, shade-dried, powdered, and subjected to ethanolic extraction, yielding 5.8% w/w of crude extract. Pharmacognostical evaluation, including anatomical, organoleptic, ash value, and extractive value analysis, confirmed the purity and morphological identity of the plant material. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, carbohydrates, and mucilage, indicating a rich composition of bioactive constituents. Quantitative estimation demonstrated high total phenolic content (94 µg/mg) and total flavonoid content (145 µg/mg), suggesting strong antioxidant potential. Antioxidant assays further supported this: the ethanolic extract showed significant free radical scavenging activity with an IC₅₀ of 44.5 µg/ml in the DPPH assay, strong reducing power (absorbance 0.799 at 800 µg/ml), nitric oxide scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 83.53 µg/ml), and a total antioxidant capacity of 134 µg α-tocopherol equivalents/mg.Column chromatographic separation yielded two major compounds. Compound-I was identified as chlorogenic acid based on UV, IR, NMR, and mass spectrometric analysis. Compound-II was confirmed as quercetin, a well-known flavonoid with potent antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. The presence of these compounds correlates with the strong antioxidant ability of the extract, indicating its potential role in mitigating oxidative stress–induced hepatic injury.