Isolation, characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity screening of pure compound from black pepper (Piper nigrum)

The present study’s aims of isolation, characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity screening of pure compound from Black pepper (Piper nigrum) were investigated. Nowadays, scientific exploration of medicinal plants from natural sources has become the prime concern globally. All the crude drugs that have been isolated from natural plant origin (herbs, root, stem, bark, fruit and flower) have great significance in drug discovery as well as a lead compound to demonstrate great synergistic effect on pharmacology. For this research work, methanol was selected as a mother solvent, and the crude methanolic extract of black pepper was partitioned in between the solvent chloroform and di-ethyl-ether. A crystal fraction has been eradicated from the chloroform extract of black pepper (Piper nigrum). The crystal compound (C₁) was isolated and purified by using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and recrystallization technique. The purified crystal compound (C₁) isolated from black pepper possesses a strong in vitro antioxidant activity. The IC₅₀ value of crystal compound (C₁) was 4.1 µg/ml where the standard one had 3.2 µg/ml. Physical, phytochemical and chromatographical characterization of pure crystal compound (C₁) has been explored, and from the analysis of all characteristics, it was found that, crystal compound (C₁) might have resembling features of the standard Piperine of black pepper. The overall research work was really remarkable and introduced a convenient way of isolating pure compound from the natural source which will be a great referential resource in isolating crude drugs for future analysis.