A validated, rapid and cost-efficient HPTLC method for the quantification of plumbagin and its antioxidant activity from the different extracts of Plumbago zeylanica L.

In the present work, a simple, rapid, reliable and accessible high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) technique has been established for the concurrent quantification of plumbagin. The well-known medicinal plant, Plumbago zeylanica L., has been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments in India and other countries. Chromatographic separation was conceded on pre-coated silica gel plates F254. The apposite mobile phase toluene‒acetic acid (9.0:0.5, V/V) was developed to expand the plates which separated components according to the marker compounds. Densitometric scanning was performed by CAMAG Scanner V and measured at wavelength 272 nm. The marker compounds were practically resolved with RF 0.44 ± 0.02 for plumbagin. Further, the antioxidant potential of the methanolic extract of P. zeylanica was also assessed with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) by using an ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer. The percentage inhibition of free radical was found to be 76.5%. The developed HPTLC method was validated for accuracy, linearity, precision and specificity. The extract has revealed considerable antioxidant activity. The reported existing phenolic and flavonoids compounds are responsible for the antioxidant activity of the plant extract as reported in the literature.