Comparative Phytochemical Screening of Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Cinnamomum Species

Abstract

Aim: This study examines and contrasts the phytochemical profiles of ethanolic leaf extracts from three species of Cinnamomum—Cinnamomum camphora, Cinnamomum tamala and Cinnamomum verum. Study Design:  Ethanolic extract of fresh leaves of three species of Cinnamomum was selected for the phytochemical screening and chemical methods was used for the purpose. Place of Study: The present investigation was conducted at the College of Fisheries, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, located in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, India (29.06°N, 79.51°E). Methodology: Ethanolic extract of leaves from Cinnamomum species was prepared by following the Soxhlet extraction method. For the phytochemical screening, the samples were prepared accordingly using standard procedures. The qualitative tests for determination of alkaloids (Picric acid test), reducing sugars (Fehling’s test), glycosides (10% NaOH test), flavonoids (Alkaline reagent test), phenolic compounds (Iodine test), tannins (Braymer’s test), phlobatannins (HCl test), saponins (NaHCO3 test), phytosterols (Salkowski test), terpenoids (using chloroform and H2SO4), triterpinoides (Salkowski test), carotenoids (Carr price reaction), quinones (Conc. HCl test), anthraquinones (Ammonium Hydroxide test) and anthocyanins (HCl test) were performed using chemical methods. The quantitative estimation of flavonoid, phenolic and tannin content was also performed. Results: Qualitative phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, glycosides, phytosterols and terpenoids across all three species. Quantitative assessments revealed that C. camphora had the highest total flavonoid content (575.25 mg QE g⁻¹ extract) and phenolic content (191.85 mg GAE g⁻¹), while C. verum showed the greatest tannin concentration (3.54 mg GAE g⁻¹). Conclusion: The results indicate that C. camphora could be a valuable source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, C. tamala may be suitable for metabolic health interventions and C. verum could be utilized for antimicrobial and gastrointestinal purposes.