In vitro EMBRYO CULTURE, PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF Nothapodytes nimmoniana (GRAHAM) MABB

Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. (N. nimmoniana), gaining more attention for its wide range of medicinal uses and its pharmaceutical activities. The present study was designed to standardize the protocol for embryo culture, callus induction and its phytochemical and antioxidant activities. Mature embryos of N. nimmoniana were inoculated on L2 medium supplemented with cytokinins (2 mg/L of BAP and 1 mg/L of KIN). Callus induction was observed from nodal explants derived from regenerated shoots, when sub cultured on L2 medium fortified with BAP (0.5 mg/L) + NAA (1 mg/L) + 2,4-D (1 mg/L). Preliminary screening reveals the presence of various primary and secondary phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, steroids, saponins, tannins in leaf, bark, root, callus and in vitro root. Total alkaloids content (57.40 ± 0.50 µg of CE /mg) was found to be higher in methanolic extract of root. Whereas leaf extract revealed higher content of total flavonoids (87.91 ± 0.65 µg of QE /mg) and total tannins (35.36 ± 0.095 µg of TAE/mg). The total phenolics were found to be maximum in the callus extract (55.58 ± 0.28 µg of GAE/mg). Root extracts showed significant DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity with an IC50 values of 51.52 ± 0.40 µg/mL and 26.64 ± 0.36 µg/mL respectively. Leaf extract demonstrated better total antioxidant and reducing power activity with an IC50 value of 70.63 ± 0.38 µg of AAE/mg and 396.33 ± 1.53 µg/mL. Our study demonstrated that methanolic extract proves to be a better solvent for extraction of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity and further studies are required to isolate the bioactive compounds from the crude extract.