Comprehensive investigation of free radical quenching potential, total phenol, flavonoid and saponin content, and chemical profiles of twelve Chlorophytum Ker Gawl. species

India represents eighteen species of genus Chlorophytum Ker Gawl., which are cumulatively known and used as Safed Musali. Out of these,Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau & R.R.Fern is extensively utilized by virtue of a wide array of bioactivities. In the present study, comparative analysis of twelve species of the genus Chlorophytum including C. borivilianum was done to find its alternative with respect to phytochemical content and antioxidant potential. Among all species analyzed, C. amaniense Engl. showed highest phenol (654.5 mg/g), flavonoid (191.1 mg/g) and saponin (7.42 %) contents. Highest DPPH free radical quenching activity was observed in C. amaniense Engl.(86.97 %) which was nearly 30 % more than that of C. borivilianum. HPTLC chemical fingerprint of all the Chlorophytum species was established showing a visible difference in the band pattern and intensities. HPTLC fingerprint of C. amaniense showed presence of maximum number of bands with high intensity. GC-MS analysis of all the extracts of twelve species revealed presence of 35 different molecules and/or fragments of molecules. Present study may be the first systematic and comparative evaluation of the genus Chlorophytum, indicates C. amaniense Engl. as an alternative to C. borivilianum.