Changes in phytochemical contents in different parts of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) lindau due to storage duration

Munirah Mohammad,Anwar Parvez,Nor Elliza Tajidin,Ketaren Bunga Raya,Sanusi Fatin Farhana,Siti Hajar Ahmad

doi:10.1590/1678-4499.0469

Munirah Mohammad, Anwar Parvez + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4499.0469

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Abstract

Clinacanthus nutans is a well recognized medicinal herb for its high phytochemical contents. Several aspects may contribute to the phytochemical contents, and thus determine the quality and efficacy of an herb. An experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design (CRD) with five replications, in a factorial arrangement of treatments. including two plant parts harvested at two different stages such as young leaves, young stems, matured leaves and matured stems, and four different storage durations such as 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. The study was aimed at determining how storage duration affects selected phytochemical contents of different plant parts of C. nutans at different harvesting stages. Total phytochemical content, total flavonoids content and DPPH radical scavenging activities are higher in young plants than in old plants, moreover, all those compounds are higher in leaves than in stems, and decrease gradually due to storage. Phytochemical, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll content of C. nutans differ among different plant parts and change due to storage. In general, young plant parts contain higher amount of phytochemicals, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll compared with matured parts confirming that phytochemicals content of C. nutans decreases when plants tend to maturity. Prolonged storage reduces phytochemical, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll content of C. nutans,which demands fresh use of this medicinal herb to avoid phytochemical losses. Further research focusing on the proper storage is necessary to minimize phytochemicals losses of C. nutans.

Highlights

Due to the increasing public awareness to being ‘back to nature’ for healthier life, the demands for herbal remedies have been growing for the last few decades
Total flavonoids content and DPPH radical scavenging activities are higher in young plants than in old plants, all those compounds are higher in leaves than in stems, and decrease gradually due to storage
Phytochemical, ascorbic acid and chlorophyll content of C. nutans differ among different plant parts and change due to storage

Summary

Introduction

Due to the increasing public awareness to being ‘back to nature’ for healthier life, the demands for herbal remedies have been growing for the last few decades. One of the medicinal herbs which is in increasing demands is Clinacanthus nutans, locally known as ‘belalai gajah’or Sabah snake grass in Malaysia, which belongs to the family Acanthaceae This species is widely grown in tropical Asian regions. Some of its commonly known efficacies are in skin rashes treatment, snake and insect bites recovery, fighting herpes simplex virus (HSV), recovering varicella-zoster virus (VZV) lesions and viral infection (Chelyn et al, 2014). It possesses anti-hepatitis, anti-herpes, and anti‐inflammatory properties. This herb is used to prevent and treat cancer (Sookmai et al, 2011; Wanikiat et al, 2008; Yong et al, 2013)

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