Phytochemical, Antioxidant and Trace Element Analysis of Hypericum japonicum Thunb.

Background: Plants possess various bioactive compounds with many biological activities. Antioxidant plays vital roles in initiating deleterious free scavenging radical reactions. Objectives: The present study was done to determine the presence of phytochemical properties of the plant along with its antioxidant analysis of four solvent fractions (hexane, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol) from Hypericum japonicum. Furthermore, five heavy metals-Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Cr were analyzed. Materials and Methods: All the experiments for phytochemical and antioxidants of different solvent extracts were investigated following standard protocols. The heavy metal content was analyzed using spectroscopy method. Results: Qualitative analysis revealed that almost all the phytochemicals were present on one or other solvents. The carbohydrate and protein content was highest in hexane and ethyl acetate extract. Ethyl acetate showed highest phenol content while diethyl ether showed highest in flavonoid content. Similarly, ethyl acetate extract showed strongest antioxidant activity. Heavy metals were found in very negligible amounts. Conclusion: The present study suggests that H. japonicum might have the potential to be a good source of phytochemicals and antioxidants. Further studies are required to analyze the pharmacological properties of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]