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PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES

CHAPTER - XI

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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

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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