Abstract : Baccaurea courtallens istree is an endemic species of fruit bearing plant growing in regions of Western Ghats. The presentstudy investigates the influence of geographical variation, drying methods, and solvent polarity on the extraction yield, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant activity of fruit rind extracts. Samples collected from different regions of Western ghats of Kerala revealed that those from the Idukki district exhibited higher levels of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, indicating the significant role of environmental factors in secondary metabolite accumulation. Among the drying techniques evaluated, continuous hot air drying demonstrated superior preservation of bioactive compounds compared to sun drying and dehumidified drying, although sun drying resulted in higher overall extraction yield. Solvent extraction studies showed that water produced the highest extract yield, while ethanol exhibited greater selectivity and efficiency in extracting key phytochemicals. Antioxidant activity assessed by the DPPH assay revealed that ethanol extracts possessed the lowest IC50 value (28 μg/mL), confirming their higher radical scavenging potential. A strong correlation was observed between phytochemical content and antioxidant activity, emphasizing that extraction efficiency depends more on compound specificity than total yield. Overall, the combination of from the Idukki region samples, continuous hot air drying, and ethanol extraction was identified as the optimal condition. The findings highlight the importance of optimizing pre-processing and extraction parameters to obtain phytochemical-rich extracts for potential applications in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Keyword : Western Ghats Geography, Baccaurea courtallensis, Fruit Rind Extract.