title: Preliminary Phytochemical Screening, Quantitative Analysis of Alkaloids, and Antioxidant Activity of Crude Plant Extracts fromEphedra intermediaIndigenous to Balochistan.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity, screening the phytogenic chemical compounds, and to assess the alkaloids present in theE. intermediato prove its uses in Pakistani folk medicines for the treatment of asthma and bronchitis. Antioxidant activity was analyzed by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate assay. Standard methods were used for the identification of cardiac glycosides, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthraquinones, and alkaloids. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for quantitative purpose of ephedrine alkaloids inE. intermedia. The quantitative separation was confirmed on Shimadzu 10AVP column (Shampack) of internal diameter (id) 3.0 mm and 50 mm in length. The extract of the solute in flow rate of 1 ml/min at the wavelength 210 nm and methanolic extract showed the antioxidant activity and powerful oxygen free radicals scavenging activities and the IC50 for theE. intermediaplant was near to the reference standard ascorbic acid. The HPLC method was useful for the quantitative purpose of ephedrine (E) and pseudoephedrine (PE) used for 45 samples of one species collected from central habitat in three districts (Ziarat, Shairani, and Kalat) of Balochistan. Results showed that average alkaloid substance inE. intermediawas as follows: PE (0.209%, 0.238%, and 0.22%) and E (0.0538%, 0.0666%, and 0.0514%).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan; Department of Health, Government of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan; Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rahman
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8024-9476
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan; College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Syed Umer
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.affiliation: Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faridullah
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Samiullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sherani
authors.affiliation: Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering & Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nusrat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jahan
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D029789:Ephedra / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis; D010154:Pakistan; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D006027:Glycosides; D010636:Phenols; D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts