SOME PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON PHYTOCHEMICALS AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF FAGOPYRUM ESCULENTUM CULTIVATED IN CHITRAL, PAKISTAN

The current study was conducted to analyze the phytochemicals and antioxidant potential of Fagopyrumesculentum which was cultivated in region of Chitral, Pakistan. The phenolics content in the methanolic extract of Fagopyrumesculentum were analyzed by using Folin-Ciocalter reagent via spectrophotometer. To determine antioxidant activity, firstly DPPH and TLC were used and after confirmation of positive potential of Fagopyrum as antioxidant, DPPH assay and reducing power method were performed via spectrophotometer. As a result, Fagopyrumesculentum showed the strong antioxidant activity. The highest antioxidant activity was found at concentration 1 mg/mL (81.64%). The contents of flavonoids were estimated as 19.64 mu g/250 mu g of dry powder and percentage was 7.856 %. The content of phenolics was 0.80 mu g/25.97 mu g of dry powder and percentage was 3.08 %. Thus, our preliminary study on grains of Fagopyrumesculentum concluded that it has compounds which can have pharmacological and medicinal importance and it can be used as antioxidant drug.