A Comparison of Phytochemicals Present in Earlham Medicinal Plant Extracts

Plants consumed as medicines are thought to exert their physiological effects in part through the activity of their secondary metabolites, which include antioxidants. The overall goal of this research is to compare the chemical compositions of medicinal plant extracts to relate to their bioactive effects when consumed. Specifically, we measured levels of total phenolic compounds and two of their derivatives, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in eight medicinal plant extracts collected from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana and among different ginkgo leaf preparations. Utilizing 96-well plate assays, the absorbance relative to gallic acid and catechin standards were measured and used to calculate total phenol and flavonoid content, respectively. Using the same 96-well plate template, the absorbance measurements of each plant extract in two different pH conditions were obtained for anthocyanin concentration analysis. We found that the concentration of total phenol content is the highest and the concentration of anthocyanin is the lowest in gingko leaf extracts when compared to other berries, leaf, and root extracts. Therefore, the project begins to describe the chemical makeup of medicinal plants valued in the Midwestern United States and forms the basis of a comparative study among different sources, genders, and preparations methods of ginkgo leaf extracts