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11.1. INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants have been of age long remedies for human diseases because they
contain components of therapeutic value (Nostro et al., 2000). Some of them are also used for
prophylactic purposes. An increasing interest in herbal remedies has been observed in several
parts of world and many of the herbal remedies have been incorporated into orthodox
medicinal plant practice. Diseases that have been managed traditionally using medicinal plant
include malaria, epilepsy, infantile convulsion, diarrhea, dysentery, fungal and bacterial
infections (Sofowora, 1996). World Health Organization (WHO) encourages the inclusion of
herbal medicines of proven safety and efficacy in the healthcare programs of developing
countries because of the great potential they hold in combating various diseases (Amos et al.,
2001).
Medicinal plants are of great importance to the health of individuals and communities.
Medicinal value of these plants lies in some chemical substances that produce a definite
physiological action on the human body. Many of these indigenous medicinal plants are used
as spices and food. They are also sometimes added to foods meant for pregnant and nursing
mothers for medicinal purposes ( Edeoga et al., 2005). Medicinal herb is considered to be a
chemical factory as it contains multitude of chemical compounds like alkaloids, glycosides,
saponins, resins, oleoresins, sesquiterpene, lactones and oils (essential and fixed) (Amrit pal
Singh, 2005). Today there is growing interest in chemical composition of plant based
medicines. Several bioactive constituents have been isolated and studied for pharmacological
216
activity. Plants have limitless ability to synthesize aromatic substances, mostly phenols or
their oxygen-substituted derivatives (Geissman, 1963). Most of the natural products are
secondary metabolites and about 12,000 of such products have been isolated so far. These
products serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects and
herbivores (Fransworth and Morris, 1976).
11.2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Collection and authentification of plant materials
The used parts of the plant i.e., leaves, bark and roots were collected personally from
the forest area of Seethagondi grampanchayath, Adilabad, A.P. The plant species were
identified locally by the tribes, scientifically by available floras at Department of Botany,
Osmania University
Preparation of extracts
Plant parts used as medicine were personally collected and dried in the oven at 70oC
for 4 hrs. and reduced to powder. 150 gm of each plant part was separately macerated with
respective solvents in Methanol, Acetone, Petroleum ether, Chloroform and allowed to stand
for 72 hrs. and then filtered. The filtrates were then evaporated under reduced pressure and
dried using a rotary evaporator at 55°C. Dried extracts were stored in labeled sterile screw
capped bottles at 5°C in the refrigerator, until when required for use. For the aqueous
extraction, 50 gm. of the plant powder was weighed into 50 ml Eylen-Mayer flask and to this
was added 400 ml of distilled water. This was heated to boil using hot plate. The mixture was
stirred at regular intervals (3-5 min) for one hour after which it was filtered with No. 1
Whatman filter paper (W and R Balson Ltd, England). The extracts were concentrated in a
hot water bath at 80oC for 5 hrs. during which 0.5 gm. charcoal was added to decolorize it.
Sterile decolorized filtered extract was then refrigerated at 5oC until required for further use.
In the present study a total of 14 phytochemical constituents were studied for their presence
217
in 15 plants by following a standard protocol given by J.B Harmone- 1998 ―Phytochemical
methods‖.
11.3. OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
The following observations were made for 14 phytochemical constituents in plant
part i.e., leaf, bark and root in presently studied 15 plant species
A. LEAF :
In the leaf powders of Datura metal, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, steroids,
phenols, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides are maximum in acetonic extractions, while
resins, tannins, coumarins, quinones and xanthophylls are minimum, but saponins,
carboxylic acids are completely absent. In Celestrus emarginata, the alkaloids, glycosides,
resins and quinones are maximum in acetonic extraction, whereas Phenols, terpenoids are
minimum whereas the carboxylic acid, flavanoids, steroids, saponins, tannins, cardiac
glycosides, coumarins, xanthophylls are completely absent. In Euphorbia hirta, flavonoids,
alkaloids, quinones are maximum in petroleum ether extractions, while steroids, terpenoids,
saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, xanthophylls, coumarins are miniumum, but
glycosides, phenols, resins and carboxylic acid are completely absent. In Zizyphus jujube,
the maximum phytochemicals are present in distilled water, methanolic and acetonic
extractions are alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, phenols, coumarins, quinones, xanthophylls,
while carboxylic acid, tannins, resins, saponins, Flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides
are minimum in concentration. In Holoptelea integrifolia, the alkaloids, xanthophylls are
maximum in distilled water, methanol, acetonic extractions, while steroids, cardiac
glycosides, coumarins, quinones are miniumum but flavonoids, glycosides, phenols,
terpenoids, resins, tannins, carboxylic acid and saponins are completely absent (Table : 32)
(Plate : 23).
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B. BARK:
In the bark powders of Cassia fistula, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, cardiac
glycosides, quinones, xanthophylls are maximum in distilled water, methanolic and acetonic
extractions, whereas flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, terpenoids, coumarins shown
their minimum presence but carboxylic acid and resins are completely absent. In Gmelina
arborea, alkaloids, resins, quinones are maximum in distilled water, methanolic, acetonic
extractions, while Flavonoids, steroids, phenols, tannins, cardiac glycosides, coumarins,
xanthophylls are minimum in concentration but glycosides, terpenoids, saponins, carboxlic
acids are completely absent. In Lannea grandis, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, quinones are
maximum in methanolic extractions, while flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, phenols,
terpenoids, saponins, tannins, xanthophylls are minimum in their presence, but resins,
coumarins, carboxylic acids are completely absent. In Adina cordifolea, alkaloids,
coumarins, quinones are maximum in acetonic, petroleum ether and Chloroformic
extractions, whereas glycosides, steroids, phenols, saponins, carboxylic acid, xanthophylls
are minimum, but flyavonoids, terpenoids, resins, tannins and cardiac glycosides are
completely absent. In Madhuca indica, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, xanthophylls are
maximum in distilled water, methanol and acetonic extractions, whereas phenols, saponins,
cardiac glycosides, carboxylic acid, quinones are minimum in their presence but glycosides,
steroids, resins and coumarins are completely absent (Table : 33) (Plate : 24).
C. ROOT:
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In Cassine glauca, alkaloids have shown their maximum presence in distilled
water, methanolic and acetonic extractions, while glycosides, phenols, cardiac glycosides,
coumarins, quinones, xanthophylls are minimum, but flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids,
saponins, resins, tannins, carboxylic acids are completely absent. In Randia uliginosa, the
flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins are maximum in distilled water, methanolic and
acetonic extractions, whereas glycosides, steroids, cardiac glycosides, carboxylic acids are
minimum, but terpenoids, saponins, resins, coumarins, quinones, xanthophylls are
completely absent. In Grewia hirsute, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, cardiac glycosides are
maximum in distilled water, methanolic and acetonic extractions, while steroids, terpenoids,
tannins are minimum, but glycosides, saponins, resins, carboxylic acid, coumarins,
quinones, xanthophylls are completely absent. In Acalpha indica, alkaloids, phenols,
saponins, tannins, carboxylic acids are maximum in methanolic, acetonic and petroleum
ether extractions, whereas cardiac glycosides, xanthophylls are minimum, but flavonoids,
glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, resins, coumarins, quinones are completely absent. In
Cocculus hirsutus, alkaloids, steroids, phenols, tannins are maximum in acetonic, petroleum
ether extractions, while xanthophylls are miniumum in their concentration but glycosides,
flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, resins, cardiac glycosides, carboxylic acid, coumarins and
quinones are completely absent (Table : 34) (Plate : 25).
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a
d c
b
e
Plate - 23
a = Datura metal; b = Celestrus emarginata; c = Euphorbai hirta; d = Zizyphus jujube; e = Holoptelea
intrgrifolia
Phytochemical Studies of Leaf powder extracts in various solvents
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a
e
d c
b
Plate - 24
Phytochemical Studies of Bark powder extracts in various solvents
a = Cassia fistule ; b = Gmelina arborea ; c = Lannea grandis ; d = Adina cordifolea ; e = Maduca indica
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Phytochemical Studies of Bark powder extracts in various solvents
a = Cassine glauca ; b = Randia uliginosa; c = Grewia hirsute ; d = Acalpha indica ; e = Cocculus
hirsutus
e
d c
b a
Plate - 25
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TABLE- 32 PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN LEAF POWDER EXTRACTS
S.No.
NAME OF THE PLANT
MAXIMUM
MINIMUM
ABSENT
1
Datura metal, Linn. Solanaceae
Flv, Alk, Glyco, Ster,
Phen, Terp, C. Gly,
Res, Tan, Coum, Quin, Xanth
Sap, C. acid
2 Celestrus emarginata, Grah./ Celestraceae Alk, Glyco, Res, Quin, Phen, Terp, C.acid, Flv, Ster, Sap, Tan,
C.Gly, Coum, Xanth
3 Euphorbia hirta, Linn./ Euphorbiaceae Flv, Alk, Quin, Ster, Terp, Sap, Tan, C.Gly,
Xanth, Coum
Glyco, Phen, Res, C.acid
4 Zizyphus jujube, Lamk./ Rhamnaceae Alk, Glyco, Ste, Phen,
Coum, Quin, Xanth,
C.acid, Tan, Res, Sap, Flv,
Terp, C.Gly
---------
5 Holoptelea integrifolia, Planch/ Euphorbiaceae Alk, Xanth, Ster, C. Gly, Coum, Quin Flv, Glyco, Phen, Terp, Res,
Tan, C.acid, Sap
Flv = Flavonoids, Alk = Alkaloids, Glyco = Glycosides, Ster = Steroids, Phen = Phenols, Terp = Terpenoids, Sap = Saponins, Res =
Resins, Tan = Tannins, C. Gly = Cardiac Glycosides, C.acid = Carboxylic acid, Coum = Coumarins, Quin = Quionones,
Xanth = Xanthopretins
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TABLE- 33 PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN BARK POWDER EXTRACTS
S.No.
NAME OF THE PLANT
MAXIMUM
MINIMUM
ABSENT
1
Cassia fistula, Linn/Leguminosae
Alk, Ster, Tan, C.Gly,
Quin, Xanth,
Flv, Glco, Phen, Sap,
Terp,Coum,
C. acid, Res
2 Gmelina arborea, Roxb./ Verbinaceae Alk, Res, Quin Flv, Ster, Phen, Tan, C.Gly,
Coum, Xanth
Glco, Terp, Sap, C.acid
3 Lannea grandis, Roxb./ Anacardiaceae Alk, C.Gly, Quin, Flv, Glyco, Ster, Phen, Terp,
Sap, Tan, Xanth
Res, Coum, C. acid
4 Adina cordifolea.Hook.
/Rubiaceae
Alk, Coum, Quin Gly, Ster, Phen, Sap, C.acid,
Xanth,
Flv, Terp, Res, Tan, C.Gly
5 Madhuca indica. J. F. Gmel/ Sapotaceae Flv, Alk, Tan, Xanth Phen, Sap, C.Gly, C.acid,
Quin
Glyco, Ster, Res, Coum
Flv = Flavonoids, Alk = Alkaloids, Glyco = Glycosides, Ster = Steroids, Phen = Phenols, Terp = Terpenoids, Sap = Saponins, Res = Resins, Tan =
Tannins, C. Gly = Cardiac Glycosides, C.acid = Carboxylic acid, Coum = Coumarins, Quin = Quionones, Xanth = Xanthopretins
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TABLE- 34 PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN ROOT POWDER EXTRACTS
S.No.
NAME OF THE PLANT
MAXIMUM
MINIMUM
ABSENT
1
Cassine glauca. Rottb. O. Ktze.,
Alk,
Glyco, Phen, C.Gly, Coum,
Quin, Xanth
Flv, Ster, Terp, Sap, Res,
Tan, C.acid
2 Randia uliginosa, DC./ Rubiaceae Flv, Alk, Phen Tan, Glyco, Ster, C.Gly, C.acid Terp, Sap, Res, Coum, Quin,
Xanth
3 Grewia hirsute, Vahl./ Teliaceae Flv, Alk, Phen, C.Gly, Ster, Terp, Tan Glyco, Sap, Res, C.acid,
Coum, Quin, Xanth
4 Acalypha indica. L./ Euphorbiaceae Alk, Phen, Sap, Tan,
C.acid
C.Gly, Xanth Flv, Gly, Ster, Terp, Res,
Coum, Quin
5 Cocculus hirsutus, DC./ Menispermaceae Alk, Ster, Phen, Tan, Xanth, Glyco, Flv, Terp, Sap, Res,
C.Gly, C.acid, Cou, Quin
Flv = Flavonoids, Alk = Alkaloids, Glyco = Glycosides, Ster = Steroids, Phen = Phenols, Terp = Terpenoids, Sap = Saponins, Res = Resins, Tan =
Tannins, C. Gly = Cardiac Glycosides, C.acid = Carboxylic acid, Coum = Coumarins, Quin = Quionones, Xanth = Xanthopretins