Evaluation of Phytochemicals, Physico-chemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity in Gum Exudates of Buchanania lanzan

• DOI: 10.1007/s40011-015-0539-4
• Publication Date: 2015-05-09T12:31:36Z
• Authors: Mahtab Z. Siddiqui; Arnab Roy Chowdhury; Niranjan Prasad
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; 6. Clean water

Gum of Buchanania lanzan Spreng. (Anacardiaceae) is being traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. This study evaluates the phytochemicals as also the physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity in gum exudates of B. lanzan Spreng. Seven samples of gum exudates of B. lanzan Spreng. were collected from Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Simdega and IINRG farm (Jharkhand), Dindori and Umaria (Madhya Pradesh) and Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh) for studying variations in their major phytochemicals, physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity adopting standard procedures. Twenty percent and ten percent concentrations of gum exudates were used for determining their viscosity (cP) at ambient temperature. The antioxidant potential of the gum exudates was evaluated by free radical scavenging activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl assay. Flavonoids, saponin, amino acid/protein and carbohydrates were found in all the gum exudates. All of them showed intra-specific variation in the physico-chemical properties viz. moisture level, color parameters (L, a, b), ash content, elemental (CHN) level, specific rotation [α] and heavy metals. Tannin was present only in the black gum exudates collected from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. B. lanzan gum exudates, at twenty percent and ten percent concentrations, exhibited shear thinning/pseudoplastic flow pattern in their viscosity. Antioxidant activity was found only in samples with tannin and the magnitude was related to the tannin level in the gum. The findings show the significant qualitative and quantitative intra-specific variations in B. lanzan gum exudates, collected from different places, for their phytochemicals, physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity.