Comparative GC/MS Analysis, Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Study for the Alcoholic Extracts of Leaves, Flowers and Bark of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb)

Terminalia arjuna tree is an important plant with massive traditional uses. This study aims to carry out a comparative phytochemical and biological evaluation on the leaves, flowers, and bark of T. arjuna. Phytochemical analysis involved exploration of the methanolic extracts using GC/MS technique as well as quantitative determination of the phenolic and flavonoid contents using Folin–Ciocalteu and AlCl3 reagents, respectively. In vitro biological evaluation of the different extracts as antioxidant and anticholinesterase were studied. Reducing power assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity while anticholinesterase activity of the extracts was measured by Ellman’s reagent at two concentrations, 10 and 100 μg/ml. Results revealed that the bark extract has the highest phenolic content 250.3 ± 17.3 mg/GAE/g dry sample, the leaves has the highest flavonoid content 5.03 ± 1.18 mg/RE/g dry sample. GC/MS results implied the identification of twenty-six, seventeen and five compounds in flowers, bark and leaves, respectively. Methyl palmitate (30.79