Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Activity of Bergenia caliata

3 Abstract: Bergenia caliata is widely used is folk medicines for treatment of fevers, diarrhea and pulmonary affection. The root of Bergenia caliata has a high reputation in indigenous systems of medicine for dissolving stones of kidneys. Phytochemical screening is an important step for the isolation of biological active chemical constituents. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites steroid, terpenoids, saponins, flavonides and anthraquinones. The crude water extract showed the presence of steroid, flavonides and tannins. The crude MeOH and chloroform extract showed the presence of steroid, terpenoids, saponins, flavonides and anthraquinone. The n-hexane extract indicated the presence of steroids and steroids only. The extracts of Bergenia caliata were studied for their antioxidant capacity using DPPH radical scavenging assay. All fractions were subjected to DPPH radical scavenging assay using different concentrations. The DPPH radical scavenging assay showed that n-hexane, chloroform and water extracts had scavenging activity.