Quantitative Estimation of β-Sitosterol, Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds in the Leaves of Moringa oleifera

A rapid method has been developed for the quantitative estimation of β-sitosterol, total phenolic and flavonoid compounds present in the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Family: Moringaceae). The hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves was subjected for the quantitative estimation of these compounds. The hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of Moringa oleifera was prepared by the process of cold maceration using ethanol and water, followed by distillation. The extract prepared was tested for preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening, followed by the quantitative estimation of β-sitosterol by LC-MS and total phenolic, flavonoid compounds by Visible-Spectroscopy. The reports revealed the presence of 90mg/g of β-sitosterol, 8μg/mL and 27μg/mL of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds respectively in the leaves of Moringa oleifera. Thus, the therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera may be due to presence of these major phytoconstituents.