Phytochemical profile and GC–MS analysis from different parts of Terminalia chebula Retz. and Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb

Plants are excellent sources of functionally bioactive compounds and essential nutrients. Terminalia chebula Retz. and Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. are very promising plants belonging to the family Combretaceae and are extensively used as ethnomedicinal and traditional plants. Qualitative and quantitative screening of aqueous and 50% ethanolic extracts showed various phytochemical groups. Results revealed that extracts of different plant parts had a different colour, consistency and phytochemical group composition, where the ethanolic fruit extracts of T. chebula and T. bellirica species had the highest phenolic content of 15.80 mg GAE/g and 15.16 mg GAE/g respectively. The total antioxidant activity was highest in the fruit extract of T. chebula 5.09 mg AAE/g and lowest in the bark aqueous extract of T. bellirica (2.38 mg AAE/g). GC–MS analysis of dried powder of selected species revealed the presence of various volatile and semi-volatile compounds with potential therapeutic applications. Characteristic peaks associated with phenols, carboxylic acids, alkenes, glycogen, alkyl halides, halogens, aliphatic amines, primary and secondary amines, esters, ethers, aromatics and silicon compounds were detected.