Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague (Apiaceae), commonly known as “Ajwain” is distributed throughout India. Ajwain fruits contain fiber, carbohydrates, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. The fruits also yield a small amount of essential oil, with Thymol as the principal constituent. Ajwain has various pharmacological activities like anti‐leishmanial, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antispasmodic, nematocidal, and anthelmintic. The fruits are of high therapeutic value; thus, it becomes quite essential to evaluate the quality of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague to authenticate and ensure its therapeutic and nutritional properties. The ethyl acetate fraction of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague fruits exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content values of 149.55 ± 1.19 mg rutin equivalent and 682.85 ± 3.68 mg gallic acid equivalent, respectively. Metabolite profiling of the ethyl acetate fraction using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry analysis resulted in identifying 19 phytomolecules. A validated high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography method was developed to quantify standard phytomolecules in the ethyl acetate fraction. The highest and lowest percentages of phytomarker were found to be caffeic acid (5.51% ± 0.16% w/w) and gallic acid (1.29% ± 0.09% w/w), respectively. This validated rapid, accurate, and precise method for standardization of Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague will be beneficial for its quality evaluation as well as the derived products.
Introduction
Black rice (Oryza sativa L.), which is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, is indigenous to Northeast India, specifically Manipur, and traditionally consumed for its protective effects on human health. Due to its economic value, it is crucial to evaluate the quality of different black rice varieties to authenticate their therapeutic and nutritional properties.
Objective
We aimed to evaluate the quality of pre‐ and post‐marketed black rice samples by a validated high‐performance thin layer chromatography method and determine variations of total phenolics and total flavonoids with antioxidant potential.
Material and Methods
The ferulic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, and caffeic acid contents of three black rice varieties—Poireiton, Amubi, and Sempak—along with two marketed samples of Amubi from Manipur, India, were quantified based on standards. Antioxidant potential was measured by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl hydrate free radical scavenging assay.
Results
The highest and lowest relative biomarker contents were found in hydroalcoholic extracts of Amubi [caffeic acid (1.43% w/w), ferulic acid (1.15% w/w), quercetin (0.6% w/w), and gallic acid (0.39% w/w)] and the marketed sample Var. Amubi from Kakching District, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficient of antioxidant potential with phenolic and flavonoid content showed a moderate to strong correlation for all samples.
Conclusion
This validated, rapid, accurate standardization method for black rice varieties will be beneficial for the quality evaluation of black rice and its derived products. It will also be helpful to authenticate the nutritional benefits for the consumers.
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