Study of Phytochemical Constituents and Anti-oxidant Activity of Spinacia oleracea L. of Bundelkhand Region

Background: Spinacia oleracea L. commonly known as palak is an edible flowering plant belongs to Amaranthaceae family. The plants exhibit its curative activity against several human diseases because of the presence of biological tannins and phenolic active phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, terpenoids. It is used in the treatment of difficulty in breathing, inflammation of liver and lungs and leucorrhoea, useful in urinary concretion, inflammation of the lungs, sore throat, and pain in joints. Methods: S. oleracea L. was collected from local market Jhansi in the month of January 2017. Aqueous and methanolic extraction of S. oleracea L. and phytochemical screening of the extracts was done for Saponins, Reducing sugar, Cardiac glycosides, Protein and Amino acid, Glycosides, Alkaloids, Tannins, Flavonoids, Terpenoids, and Steroids. Results: Phytochemical analysis of leaves of S. oleracea had most of the important phytochemicals like Alkaloids, Tannins, Glycosides, Terpenoids, and Flavonoids etc. In which, the aqueous extract of S. oleracea showed (in most of the test) positive result for Alkaloids, Phenols, Flavanoids, Saponins, Terpenoids, Reducing sugar, Protein, and Amino acid and showed a negative result for Carbohydrate, Glycosides, and Cardiac glycosides. The methanolic extract of the plant leaves revealed the presence of (in most of the test) Alkaloids, Tannins & Phenolic compounds, Flavanoids, Saponins, Terpenoids and Steroids and negative results for the rest. Conclusion: The phytochemical analysis of S. oleraceae revealed the presence of phytochemicals such as, Tannins, Flavonoids, Alkaloids, Saponins, and Terpenoids etc. in the different extracts. By the presence of these phytochemicals, we were suggested that S. oleracea is a good nutrient rich leafy vegetable that can be used as a therapeutic and curative medicine for many oxidative stressinduced diseases. Key-wordsPhytochemical analysis, Spinacia oleracea, Flavonoids, Alkaloids, Terpenoids, Methanolic extract