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Phytochemical analysis of some Traditional medicinal plants

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 Bioscience Discovery, 7(1):17-20, Jan - 2016

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ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print); ISSN: 2231-024X (Online)
Research Article

Phytochemical Analysis of Some Traditional Medicinal Plants

V. Nandagoapalan*1, A. Doss2 and C.Marimuthu1
1
PG & Research Department of Botany, National College, Tiruchirappalli
2
Post Graduate Department of Microbiology, Kamaraj College, Thoothukudi
Tamilnadu, South India.
*Email: [email protected]

Article Info Abstract

Received: 14-11-2015, Screening of phytochemicals is a precious stair in the detection of bioactive

Revised: 20-12-2015, principles present in particular medicinal plant and may lead to novel drug
Accepted: 30-12-2015 discovery. In the present study, principal phytoconstituents of 25 traditional
medicinal plants were identified in order to relate their presence with bioactivities of
Keywords: the plants. Screening of the plants was performed using standard methods and
Secondary metabolites, resulted in the detection of the presence of tannins, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins,
Medicinal properties, steroids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. Flavonoids were present in 19 of 25
Qualitative screening, plants while alkaloids were present in sixteen plants. The presence of these
Medicinal plants phytochemicals can be correlated with medicinal potential of these plants. Further
studies are needed with these plants to evaluate their pharmacological potentials,
isolate, characterize and elucidate the structures of the bioactive compounds
responsible for their activities and other medicinal values.

INTRODUCTION against various diseases and stress conditions

Natural products especially from plant (Thilagavathi et al., 2015). These chemical
sources, including species have been investigated substances are called secondary metabolites. The
for their characteristics and health effects. Plants most important of these bioactive groups of plants
have designed the basis of classy traditional are alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, saponins and
medicine practices that have been used for phenolic compounds (Edeoga et al., 2005).
thousands of years by people in China, India and Correlation between the phytoconstituents and the
many other countries (Sneader, 2005). Some of the bioactivity of plant is desirable to know for the
earliest records of the usage of plants are drugs are synthesis of compounds with specific activities to
found in the Artharvaveda, which is the basis for treat various health ailments and chronic disease as
Ayurvedic medicine in India, the clay tablets in well (Pandey et al., 2013). Generally, the presence
Mesopotamis (1700 BCE), and the Eber Papyrus in of different phytochemicals in crude plant extracts
Egypt (1550 BCE) (Sneader, 2005). Plant chemicals has been linked to the detrimental effects of
are regarded as secondary metabolites because the leachates, root exudates or decomposing residues of
plants that manufacture them may have little need such plants on the other vegetation or succeeding
for them. They are synthesized in all parts of the crops (Mubashir and Wajaht, 2011). Owing to the
plant body; bark, leaves, stem, root, flower, fruits, significance in the above context, such preliminary
seeds etc. i.e. any part of the plant body may phytochemical screening of plants is the need of the
contain active components (Solomon Charles et al., hour in order to discover and develop novel
2013). This chemicals work with nutrients and therapeutic agents with improved efficacy.
fibers to form an integrated part of defense system Phytochemical analyses of several species

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 V. Nandagoapalan et al.,
of medicinal plants and allelopathic activities of the Tiruchirappalli and Thuraiyur, Tiruchirappalli
crude chemical compounds on crops and plants District, Tamilnadu, India during 2012 – 2013. Each
have yielded positive results (Fujii et al., 2004). The plant sample was then air dried and milled to a
present study revealed the qualitative coarse powder.
phytochemistry of twenty five medicinal plants used
by the peoples of Tiruchirappalli district, Phytochemical screening
Tamilnadu, India. Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening
was carried out with the following methods
MATERIALS AND METHODS (Shanmugam et al., 2010).
Collection of Plant Materials Alkaloids
Fresh plant samples were collected from
three different zones i.e. Manapparai,
Wagner’s test: About 1ml of leaf extract and 1ml Forth test: About 2g of the powdered sample is
of Wagner’s reagent (dilute iodine solution) are boiled with 20ml of distilled water in a water bath
added and mixed. Formation of reddish brown and filter. 10 ml of the filtrate is mixed with 5 ml of
precipitates indicates the presence of alkaloids. distilled water and shake vigorously for a stable
Flavonoids persistent forth. The frothing is mixed with 3 drop
Shinoda test: To 1ml of the extract, add 8 - 10 of olive oil and shakes vigorously. The formation of
drops of concentrate HCl and a pinch of magnesium emulsion for the positive result can be observed.
powder or filing. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes and cool. Gum and Mucilage
A red colouration indicates the presence of To 1ml of extract add 2.5ml of absolute alcohol and
flavonoids. stirring constantly. Then the precipitate was
Steroids dried in air and examine for its swelling properties.
Libermann Burchard test: To 0.5 ml of the Swelling was observed that will indicate
extract, add 2ml of acetic anhydride and 2ml of presence of gum and mucilage.
concentrate H2SO4 along the sides of the tube. The Lignin
formation of green colour indicates the presence of (Klason lignin) Phlorglucinol + Conc. HCl, Red
steroids. colouration on the fibres of Xylem and phloem
Glycosides tissue.
Keller-Killani test: To 5ml of the extract is treated Starch
with 2ml of glacial acetic acid containing one drop 50% Iodine solution, Blue black spot was observed.
of ferric chloride solution and 1ml of concentrated
sulphuric acid. A brown ring at the interface RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
indicates the presence of cardiac glycosides. The preliminary qualitative phytochemical
Terpenoids screening of the crude powder of 25 plants was
Salkowski test: To 5ml of the extract, add 2ml of done to assess the presence of bioactive
chloroform and 3ml of concentrated H2SO4. components. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids,
Formation of yellow colour ring at the interface of tannins, phenols, steroids, glycosides, terpenoids
the two liquids that turns reddish brown colour after and saponins was determined (Table 1).Among
two minutes, showed the presence of terpenoids. these compounds alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids,
Phenols saponins and tannins are important secondary
Liebermann’s test: To 1ml of extract add 1ml of metabolites and are responsible principles for
sodium nitrite, few drops of diluted sulphuric acid medicinal values of the respective plant. Terpenoids
and 2ml of diluted NaOH. Appearance of deep red are found in 12 medicinal plants out of 25 plants
or green or blue colour indicates presence of selected. Terpenoids and tannins are attributed for
phenol. analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Apart
Tannins from this tannins contribute property of astringency
Modified Prussian blue test: To 1ml of the extract, i.e. faster the healing of wounds and inflamed
add 1ml of 0.008M potassium ferricyanide and 1ml mucous membrane (Okwu and Josiah, 2006).
of 0.02M FeCl3 in 0.1 M HCl. Appearance of blue Steroids compounds are found in 14 plants out of 25
colour indicates the presence of tannins. medicinal plants.
Saponins

http://jbsd.in 18 ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print)

 Bioscience Discovery, 7(1):17-20, Jan - 2016
Table 1: Preliminary qualitative phytochemical analysis of some traditional medicinal plants,
Tiruchirappalli District

Phytochemicals
Plant Name Al Fl. St Gly Ter Ph Tan Sap G& Lig St
M
Acalypha indica L. + + - + - + + + - - -
Achyranthes aspera L. + - - - - - + - - + +
Amaranthus spinosus L. + + - - - + + + - - -
Anisomeles malabarica (L.) Kuntze + + + - + + + + - + +
Aponogeton natans (L.) Engl. & - + - - + + + - - - -
K.Krause
Aristolochia bracteolata Lam. + + + + + + - + - - +
Asparagus racemosus Willd. + + + - - + + + - - -
Azadirachta indica Adr. Juss. + + - - + + + + - - -
Cardiospermum halicacabum L. + + + - - - + + - - +
Cissus quadrangularis L. Mart. - + + - - + + + + - +
Cissus setosa Wallich - + - - - + + - - - +
Coldenia procumbens L. + + + - - + - - - - -
Corchorus aestuans L. - + + + - + + + + - -
Crinum asiaticum L. + - - + - + + + - - +
Euphorbia cycthophora L. + + - + + - - + - - -
Gloriosa superba L. + - - + - - - + - - +
Heliotropium indicum L. - + - + - + - + - - -
Martynia annua L. + + + + + - + - - - -
Nasturtium indicum DC - - - + - + - - + + -
Pedalium murex L. + + + + - - - - - - -
Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thonn + + - - + + + - - + -
Plumbago zeylanica L. - - + + + + + - - - -
Portulaca oleracea L. - + + - - + - + - - -
Ricinus communis L. + + + - - + + + - - +
Sarcostemma intermedium Dcne + - + + - + + - - - -

(+) Indicate the presence of phytochemicals and (-) Indicate the absence of phytochemicals
Abbreviations
Al: Alkaloids; Fl: Flavonoids; St. Steriods; Gly: Glycosides; Ter: Terpenoids; Ph: Phenols; Tan: Tannins;
Sap: Saponins; G & M: Gum & Mucilage; Lig: Lignin; St: Starch

It should be noted that steroidal compounds are of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids,
importance and of interest in pharmacy due to their glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids etc (Anubha
relationship with sex hormones (Anubha Arora, Arora, 2013). Saponins natural tendency to ward off
2013). The phytochemical screening demonstrated microbes makes them good candidates for treating
the presence of different types of phytocompounds fungal and yeast infections. These compounds
like alkaloids, saponins, flavonids, steroids, tannins served as natural antibiotics, which help the body to
etc which could be responsible for the various fight infections and microbial invasion (Santhi et
pharmacological properties. Phytochemical al., 2011). The biological functions of flavanoids
constituents such as tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids apart from its antioxidant properties include
and several other aromatic compounds or secondary protection against allergies, inflammation, free
metabolites of plants serve as defense mechanism radicals, platelet aggregation, microbes, ulcers,
against predation by many microorganism, insects hepatoxins, viruses and tumors (Barakat et al.,
and herbivores. The curative properties of medicinal 1993).
plants are perhaps due to the presence of various

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 V. Nandagoapalan et al.,
Cardiac glycosides content was found in methanol Fujii Y, Shibuya T, Nakatani K, Itan IT,
extract. Cardiac glycosides have been used for over Hiradate S and Parvez MM, 2004. Assessment
two centuries as stimulant in case of cardiac failure methods for allelopathic effect from leaf litter
(Trease and Evans, 1998; Olayinki et al., 1992). leachates. Weed Biol Manag., 4: 19-23.
The major chemical substances of interest Mubashir S and Wajaht AS, 2011. Phytochemical
in the earlier reports have been the alkaloids and and Pharmacological Review Profile of Adiantum
steroidal sapogenins (saponins) however; other venustum. Int J Pharm Tech Res., 3: 827-830.
diverse groups of naturally occurring Okwu DE and Josiah C, 2006. Evaluation of the
phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, chemical composition of two Nigerian medicinal
unsaturated sterols, triterpenoids, essential oils etc. plants. Afr J Biotech., 5: 357-361.
also have been reported (Farnsworth et al., 1966). Olayinki AO, Onuruvwe O and Lot TY, 1992.
In the present report all the plant samples showed Cardiovascular effects of the methanolic extract of
the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and the stem bark of Khaya sengaensis. Phy Res.,
saponins. 6(5):282-284.
Conclusion Pandey P, Mehta R and Upadhyay R. 2013.
The present study leads to the further Physico-chemical and preliminary phytochemical
research in the way of isolation and identification of screening of Psoralea corylifolia. Arch Appl Sci
the activity compound from the selected plants Res., 5:261-265.
using chromatographic and spectroscopic Santhi R, Lakshmi G, Priyadharshini AM and
techniques. Anandaraj, 2011. Phytochemical screening of
Acknowledgment Nerium oleander leaves and Momordica chrantia
The authors are grateful to the University leaves. Inter Res J Pharm., 2: 131-135.
Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi for Shanmugam S, Sathish Kumar T and Panneer
financial support [Ref. No.: 41 – 465/2012 (SR)]. Selvam K, 2010. Laboratory handbook on
The authors also thank Mr. K.Ragunathan, Biochemistry.. PHI learning private limited Delhi.
Secretary and Dr. K.Anbarasu, Principal, National Sneader W, 2005. Drug Discovery: a History,
College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli for their Wiley, Chichester, 2005; UK.
moral support and constant encouragement. Solomon Charles Ugochukwu, Arukwe Uche I
and Onuoha Ifeanyi, 2013. Preliminary
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How to Cite this Article:

V. Nandagoapalan, A.Doss and C.Marimuthu, 2016. Phytochemical Analysis of Some Traditional
Medicinal Plants. Bioscience Discovery, 7(1):17-20.

http://jbsd.in 20 ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print)

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