African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2280

Full Length Research Paper

Phytochemical, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Periploca aphyla and Mentha longifolia, selected medicinal plants of District Bannu, Pakistan

Rahmat Ali Khan1*, Noor Aslam Khan1, Farid Ullah Khan1, Mushtaq Ahmed1, Abdul Saboor Shah1, Muhammad Rashid Khan2 and Mir Sadiq Shah1
1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology Bannu KPK, Pakistan. 2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 15 November 2012
  •  Published: 08 December 2012

Abstract

Mentha longifolia and Periphloca aphyla are a well known species widely applied in medicine as a constituent of various drugs, and are very liked in aromatherapy. The current study was desighned to investigate the phytochemical screening, cytotoxic and antioxidant capacity of methanolic extract of Mentha longifolia and Periphloca aphyla. The methanolic extract ofMentha longifolia via qualitative analysis revealed the presence of terpenoids, saponins and flavonoids while anthraquinones, coumarins, cardiac glycosides, tannins, and phlobtannins remained absent. The extract also showed maximum free radical scavenging and cytotoxic potential in various concentrations in Mentha longifolia and Periphloca aphyla. The results revealed that methanolic extract of these plants contain a remarkable antioxidant and cytotoxic activity due the presence of bioactive constituents.

 

Key words: Antioxidant, cytotoxic, Mentha longifolia, phytochemical screening.