Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Acorus calamus L. accessions from different altitudes of Uttarakhand Himalayas

Background & Aim:  Acorus calamus L. (Araceae) is an herb traditionally used in Indian and Chinees system of medicine. It is a perennial herb with long, cylindrical scented rhizomes which are creeping and extensively branched with the thickness up to 2.5 cm. The rhizomes are whitish internally and brownish externally in appearance. It is vernacularly known as Bach in India. The present investigation reveals the phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of the rhizome and leaves methanolic extracts of A calamus from three different altitudes of Uttarakhand. Experimental:  The extracts compositions of Acorus calamus rhizomes and leaves collected from three different altitudes of Uttarakhand Himalayas, India. The yield of extracts ranged from 0.3- 4.8% w/v, were analyzed by GC/MS and in-vitro antioxidant assay were done by different methods. Results:  Over 65 contributing 80.90-90.55 % in different extracts among all the accessions were identified. The major compounds identified were β-asarone (44.9-51.9%), shyobunone (1.1%- 5.3%), Z-methyl isoeugenol (0.1%-2.4%), leinoleic acid (6.4%-18.9%), α-asarone(0.1%-4.6%) and Z-isoelemicin (2.2%-15.8%). The amount of phenolics in rhizome extracts, ranged from 4.10 mg-4.80 mg GAE/g respectively, whereas in leaf extracts the amounts were 2.40-3.26mg GAE/g respectively. All the extracts exhibited good in vitro antioxidant activity with the IC50 values ranging from 0.3- 4.8 % w/v determined by different methods compared to standard antioxidant.Recommended applications/industries: Based on above observations it can be inferred that the herb may be a good source of bioactive compounds and can work as an antioxidant to prevent the oxidative deteriorative activity of food materials beside generation of database for its scientific and judicious in-situ exploitation.