Secondary metabolites

To elucidate the terpenoid profile of Cucumis melo (L). fruit extract using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The ethanolic extract prepared from the fruit of Cucumis melo (L). using Soxhlet apparatus. n-hexane: ethyl acetate (7.2: 2.9) was employed as mobile phase for terpenoids. 3µl of test solution and 2µl of standard solution was loaded as 6mm band length in the 3 x 10 Silica gel 60F254 TLC plate using Hamilton syringe and CAMAG LINOMAT 5 instrument.  HPTLC analysis was done using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with automatic TLC sampler IV, TLC scanner 3, REPROSTAR 3 with 12 bit CCD camera for photo documentation, winCATS Planer Chromatography software. The Rf value of the different compounds present in the extract was found to 0.06, 0.21 and 0.93 of peak 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Among them, peak 1 was found to be terpenoid compounds. C. melo fruit extract showed the presence of terpenoids and it was confirmed from the chromatogram after derivatization.  HPTLC profile of terpenoids has been chosen here to reveal the diversity existing at biochemical level in C. melo. Such finger printing is useful in differentiating the species from the adulterant and act as a biochemical marker for this medicinally important plant in the pharmaceutical industry and plant systematic studies.

Ethnic communities inhabiting Jharkhand state are living in true harmony with nature. They entirely depend on plants and plant resources for their livelihood. Plants use in tribal belt is as diverse as the ethnic diversity. The paper focuses on lesser known nutraceutical plants, usually  not known to the modern society but form an important dietary part of the ethnic people and provide them both nutritional and health security. These vegetables are lesser known and under-utilized resources, which are rich both in nutrients and secondary metabolites, providing nutritional and health security (nutraceutical). These plant resources grow their own, thrive easily on inhospitable conditions without any input, give new taste and are free of chemical pesticides and insecticides. In view of the large scale utilization of land area in the name of various kinds of developmental activities there is an urgent need of enlisting wild nutraceutical potherbs and documentation of their therapeutic uses before it is too late. The present paper describes 35 plants species which are widely consumed amongst ethnic communities.