HPTLC Analysis and In-Silico Studies of Three Bioactive Natural Colors from Cissalpenea Sappan Wood, Clitorea Ternatea Flowers, and Selenicereus Undatus Fruits

Abstract

The work focusses on, an ecofriendly and cost-effective extraction of three natural colorants obtained from Caesalpinia sappan, Clitoria ternatea and Selenicereus undatus which can be used as pharmaceutical excipients, food colorants, and cosmetics, etc. Apart from that the natural color itself has its own therapeutic activity therefore, the rational use of these colors along with the synthetic drugs will impart not only the coloring effect for the formulation but it can make an additive effect along with the therapeutic action of the drug.

HPTLC evaluation of these colour extracts indicated the presence of the reference standard quercetin in Clitoria flower and Sappan wood extracts as 87.68 mcg/mg and 72.64 mcg/mg respectively. The amount of reference standard gallic acid in dragon fruit extract is found to be 38.46 mcg/mg.

The colour extracts CSWC (C. sappan wood color extract), CTFC (C. ternatea flower colour extract) and SUFC (S. undatus fruit colour extract) showed an LC50 value of 7943.3, 6534.5 and 5623.4 mcg/ml respectively as compared with FCF color 15985,14720 (3981.07mcg/ml), Brilliant blue FCF (3771.7mcg/ml), Carmoisine (1989.57 mcg/ml) respectively in the brine shrimp lethality assay method (BSLA).  The percentage yield obtained for CSWC, CTFC, and SUFC are 90.5, 94.25 and 95.35 respectively. 

In-silico molecular docking studies revealed that quercetin present in CSWC, CTFC and gallic acid present in SUFC showed significant binding affinity against COX-2, DPP-4 and SOD respectively.