Identification and analysis of chemical components of methanolic leaf extracts of Ocimum tenuiflorum L. and Stevia rebaudiana Bert. using chromatography and assessing their antiproliferative efficacy in root tips of Allium cepa L.

Ocimumm tenuiflorum L. (Lamiaceae) and Stevia rebaudiana Bert. (Asteraceae) are two highly therapeutic plants with a wide range of uses. In the present study, we analysed various chemical components present in the methanolic leaf extracts of both of the plants employing chromatography (GC-MS) and assessed antiproliferative activity of different doses of methanolic leaf extracts in root apical meristems of Allium cepa L. In the GC-MS study, 56 components were identified in Ocimum tenuiflorum and 40 components in Stevia rebaudiana. The young root tips of Allium cepa L. were treated with different concentrations of methanolic extracts i.e. 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% and 10% (v/v) with a control set and the results suggested that Ocimum tenuiflorum had stronger antiproliferative potential than Stevia rebaudiana in all the doses. The highest concentration (10%) of methanolic leaf extract exhibited the maximum mito-inhibitory activity.