Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Analysis of Brassica juncea Seeds

Introduction: Brassica juncea is an economically important plant that has been well-known in India for centuries for its medicinal and nutritive values. The broad spectrum of benefi cial effects of the seeds perceived with this plant warrants further exploration of B. juncea seeds as a potential source for obtaining pharmacologically standardized phytotherapeutics, which could be potentially useful. The objective of the present study was to perform the pharmacognosy of mustards seeds inclusive of qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis, fi ngerprinting by infrared spectroscopy and high performance thin layer chromatography analysis and toxicity assessment in vitro. Methods: Different sections of seeds were taken and stained with 0.1% phloroglucinol for microscopic examination. The seeds were extracted by 80% alcohol on a rotary shaker to perform phytochemical analysis and fi ngerprinting. The toxicity assessment of this extract was performed on human dermal fi broblast cells. Results: Microscopic examination of seeds showed characteristic features of mustard seeds. The extraction of these seeds by 80% alcohol resulted in IC 50 value of 103 ± 3 μg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl radical scavenging assay. The fi ngerprinting analysis of this extract indicated probable presence of sinigrin, quercetin, vanillin, catechin, vitamin E and sulfur-containing compounds. This extract exhibited 50% toxicity (IC 50 ) at 1.79 mg/mL. Conclusion: The result achieved will be used to assess the therapeutic effi cacy of seed extracts for future pharmacological evaluations.