Phytochemical and antioxidant activity of Diospyros kaki Leaves

Medicinal plants have a significant contribution of ensuring health and wellbeing of the people throughout the world. From primitive periods, plant leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and roots were used for recovery and protection of various pathologic conditions as well as in beauty formulas, foods preparations and beverages. Therefore, the motive of this work was to determine the phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Diospyros kaki (Persimmon; Japan) leaves. The leaves were collected from the Modern Horticulture Centre, Zautola, Fulbagan, Natore, Bangladesh in October, 2021. The leaves were sun dried and crushed into coarse powder and extracted by methanol and ethyl acetate solvent. The phenolic content of methanol extract of Diospyros kaki leaves (DKLM) possessed 5.097 ± 0.245 mg of GAEs/gm of extract which was slightly greater than ethyl acetate extract of Diospyros kaki leaves (DKLEA) 2.226 ± 0.109 mg of GAEs/gm of extract and in case of flavonoid content both of the extracts possessed almost similar quantity. Again, the antioxidant capacity of DKLM was more than DKLEA and also DKLM displayed more reducing power capacity as compared to the DKLEA & it exhibited activity in a concentrated dependent manner. However, the effect of DKLM in DPPH radical scavenging capacity was significantly good as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). So further work is necessary to determine particular bioactive compound, evaluate their chemical characteristics, and pharmacological activities of this fruit. It also necessary to analyze other plant parts of persimmon.