Qualitative and Quantitative Investigation of Phytocompounds Extracted from Lignocellulosic Biomass

In India, a huge amount of agricultural waste also known as “Lignocellulosic Biomass” is generated every year, which is a big threat to the environment, because these wastes are generally open burned or dumped. However, these wastes can be an important source of phytocompounds. Additionally, the utilization of this waste material for phytocompounds extraction could be a sustainable approach and create a circular economy. Therefore, the present study aimed to extract phytocompounds from lignocellulosic biomass such as Fenugreek stems (FNS), Chickpea stems (CPS), Fennel stems (FS), and Cumin stems (CS). The phytocompounds were extracted using the Soxhlet apparatus with hydro-alcoholic solvents. The percentage yields of hydro-alcoholic extracts of the fenugreek stem extract (FNSE), Chickpea stem extract (CPSE), Fennel stem extract (FSE), and Cumin stem extract (CSE) were 8.03%, 4.22%, 7.89%, and 6.69% respectively. The qualitative phytochemicals test results revealed that tannins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and phenolic compounds are in moderate concentrations in all the sample extracts. The total tannins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and phenolic content were confirmed compared to standard tannic acid, quercetin, and gallic acid respectively. Further, sample extracts characterized using FTIR confirmed the presence of various functional groups such as phenolic, alkene, aldehyde, isothiocyanate, methyl, sulfoxide, and halo groups, etc. HPTLC was performed to support the results of the primary phytochemical screening study. From the HPTLC chromatograms, it was confirmed at 366nm of FNSE, CPSE, FSE, and CSE, that 12, 7, 9, and 7 compounds were separated respectively. It was observed from the chromatograms at 254nm of FNSE, CPSE, FSE, and CSE, that 9, 6, 8, and 6 compounds were separated respectively. The presence of these phytocompounds in waste samples reveals the potential application in various fields such as pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and other miscellaneous fields. The results revealed that the extracted phytocompounds from lignocellulosic biomass could be a promising raw material for industrial-scale applications.