TLC-Bioautographic Evaluation for High-Throughput Screening and Identification of Free Radical Scavenging and Antidiabetic Compounds from Traditional Unani Medicinal Plant: Citrullus colocynthis Schrad

: Background: Interest in the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of natural products are growing vastly in the modern world. Thin layer chromatography-bioautography-mass spectroscopy (TLC-bioautography-MS) plays an important role in chemico-biological screening of natural sources. TLC combined with 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, α-amylase and α-glucosidase bioassay were used to evaluate antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, respectively, in different extracts of Citrullus colocynthis (Hanzal), a well-known traditional Indian Unani medicinal plant. Objective: To develop a TLC-bioautographic-MS method for DPPH, α-amylase, and glucosidase inhibitors in different extract of C. colocynthis fruits. Method: Fruits of C. colocynthis were successively extracted with toluene, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water. TLC solvents were developed, and bioautographic-MS analysis was carried out to identify the antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds. Results: H maximum in extracts of C. colocynthis at 254 and 366 nm, respectively, whereas in toluene extract at 254 and 366 nm. Based on TLC-bioautography-MS, maximum number of extracts of C. colocynthis, all the extracts have shown antidiabetic activity. On the other hand, there were no antioxidant compounds in methanolic extract of C. colocynthis. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that TLC-bioautography-MS-guided strategy used to identify antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds of C. colocynthis is very useful technique for high-throughput screening of bioactive compounds. Highlights: TLC-MS bioautography is a simple and fast to enables bioactive compounds present in extracts.