AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYTOCONSTITUENTS OF PUNICA GRANATUM

Abstract

Phytochemicals of diverse chemical structure from an assortment of sources, especially fruits and vegetables are being studied for their biological activity. Fruits are believed to be a potential source of natural phenolics that have been associated with reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The present study focuses on screening the different phytochemicals present in the aril and rind of Punica granatum. The aril and rind of Punica granatum was then evaluated for their flavonoid content using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. Theantioxidant ability of the fruit was then assessed in terms of free radical scavenging ability of the fruit. The fruit extracts were tested for their ability to scavenge four different free radicals namely DPPH, superoxide, nitric oxide and hydroxyl and a non radical hydrogen peroxide. It was seen that the fruit possesses a spectrum of phytochemicals that could be the accountable factor for its varied biological activities, including the antioxidant potential.