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Hibiscus is widely grown as an ornamental and medicinal plant. The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaves used
as emollient, anodyne, and laxative. In the present study, phytochemical analysis, antioxidant assay of
nine varieties of Hibiscus species were studied. The phytochemical analysis included tests for alkaloids,
flavonoids, saponins, tannins, phenols, proteins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, carbohydrates and
quinones using methanol and ethanol extracts of leaves. Tannins and Carbohydrates were present in all
the samples taken for both the ethanol and methanol extracts, Proteins, Saponins and phenol were absent.
Other phytochemicals were present in a few samples either in methanol or ethanol extracts. The
antioxidant property of all extracts were analysed by DPPH free radical scavenging activity assay. The
samples white with pink- many petals (WP) methanol extracts and yellow- 5 petals (Y) ethanol extracts
showed the highest antioxidant activities with least IC50 values. Of these two solvents, methanol was found
to be the best solvent to extract both, phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Keywords: Hibiscus, Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, DPPH, Solvent extracts.