Phytochemical screening and antioxidant activity of leaves and cell suspension culture from seed derived callus of Spinacia Oleracae

Objective: To screen the phytochemical constituents as well as  to assess the total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of plant extract(leaves) and cell suspension culture extract from the seed derived callus of Spinacia oleracae.
Methods: Establishment of callus was carried out by use of MS medium supplemented with growth hormones, BAP and IAA with some modifications in the standardized method. Plant extract was subjected to the phytochemical screening as reported methods. Folin–Ciocalteu reagent was used to estimate total phenolic content and the antioxidant potential was determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay.
Results: Phytochemical screening of extract showed presence of major classes of phytochemicals such as Alkaloids phenols, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoid, carbohydrates, glycosides, reducing sugars and proteins. It was found that the seed derived callus formation was maximum after 28th day and satisfactory establishment of cell suspension culture was observed after the 25th day of inoculation. An antioxidant potential of cell culture extract was  found to be 75.78 %where the  value was 68.47% for leaf extract.Total phenolic content of plant extract (leaves) and cell suspension culture extract was found to be 4.85mg GAE/g and 3.96 mg GAE/g respectively.
Conclusion: The result revealed that the  leaf extract  showed higher total phenolic conent as compare to cell culture extract However,an antioxidant potential  of leaf extract was found to be  lower  than  the cell culture extract. The possible  reason for increase in anioxidant potential of cell culture extract may be due to stimulation of biosynthetic pathways of  primary and secondary metabolites  which may be responsible for antioxidant activity. Thus the present study will be useful for application of  cell culture derived from spinach  seeds , as a promising alternative to the whole plant  for the  large scale production of plant phenolics.