Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Determination of Total Phenols and Flavonoids in Aerial Parts of Viola Tricolor

Viola tricolor L (family: Violaceae) commonly known as wild pansy, heartsease exhibited various pharmacological effects such as cytotoxic activity, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, sedative, immunosuppressive, anti-anxiety, and anticonvulsant activity. Polysaccharides, flavonoids, phenylcarbonic acids, salicylic acid derivatives, catechins, and coumarins are all known to be present in Viola tricolor. The aim of the present study was to perform the preliminary phytochemical screening and to estimate total phenols and total flavonoids in Viola tricolor aerial parts. The aerial components of V. tricolor were extracted successively in order of increasing polarity using solvents such as petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, and water. Phytochemical studies of V. tricolor confirmed the presence of phenols and flavonoids in chloroform, methanolic, and aqueous extract. A spectrophotometric technique based on Folin-Ciocalteau reagents and an aluminium chloride colorimetric test was used to determine the amount of total phenols and flavonoids in chloroform, methanolic, and aqueous extracts. Total phenols were measured using gallic acid as standard, while total flavonoids were measured using quercetin as standard. Total phenolic content (%w/w) were found to be 8.00±0.503, 14.84±0.298, and 2.93±0.232 in chloroform, methanolic, and aqueous extract of V. tricolor respectively. Total flavonoid content (%w/w) were found to be 3.09±0.113, 6.24±0.279, and 2.00±0.166 in chloroform, methanolic, and aqueous extract of V. tricolor respectively.