phytochemical screening

The present study investigates the phytochemical profile of the bark of Parkinsonia aculeata and Rotula aquatica, two medicinal plants known for their traditional therapeutic applications. The bark samples were subjected to extraction using alcohol and water, followed by qualitative phytochemical screening to detect the presence of secondary metabolites. The extracts were evaluated for constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, carbohydrates, and saponins. The results confirmed the rich presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in both plants, supporting their ethnomedicinal relevance. These findings contribute to the standardization and quality control of these plants in herbal drug formulations.

The global rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has intensified the search for plant-derived alternatives with therapeutic potential. Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng., a plant valued in traditional medicine, is rich in bioactive compounds, though its bark has not been extensively studied. This research aimed to analyze the phytochemical constituents and evaluate the antibacterial properties of the methanolic extract of M. koenigii bark sourced from the Botanical Garden of VJ’s College of Pharmacy, Rajahmundry. The bark was dried, ground, and extracted using methanol via maceration. Standard qualitative tests were used to identify secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, triterpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. The extract’s antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the agar well diffusion method, with Amikacin as the positive control and methanol as the negative control. The extract demonstrated a rich phytochemical profile and showed dose-dependent antibacterial effects. Maximum inhibition was observed at 400 mg/mL with zones of 15.3 mm (S. aureus), 13.8 mm (E. coli), and 12.5 mm (P. aeruginosa). The study indicates that M. koenigii bark methanolic extract possesses significant antibacterial activity, suggesting its potential as a plant-based antimicrobial agent.

This research work was carried out on the species Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott (Nephrolepidaceae), a fern from Côte d’Ivoire with the aim of establishing its phytochemical, antioxidant and biological profile. The results obtained from the phytochemical screening show that said species contains alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, polyphenols, sterols, terpenes, and tannins. The antioxidant activity was evaluated spectrophotometrically against the DPPH radical in comparison with that of vitamin C. The determination of the antibacterial parameters indicates that N. biserrata doesn’t exhibit any bactericidal action against the bacterial strains tested. Regarding the vermicidal activity against earthworms, decocts of N. biserrata showed an anthelmintic effect, which however remains less pronounced than that of albendazole, the anthelmintic antiparasitic taken as a reference.

The hot continuous extraction (Soxhlet extraction) was carried by using different solvents from daily used condiments such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and clove. Those extracts were qualitatively screened for the presence of the secondary metabolites by standardized method. The extracts were quantitatively analyzed for the presence of Flavonoids and Phenolic compounds where the highest concentration of both the compounds were 432.19* and 395.04^ respectively in 70% ethanolic (v/v) extract of clove. Likewise the antioxidant activity of the acetonic extract of garlic 60.58 ± 1.596% of scavenging effect was the highest whereas succeeding highest extract for the activity was for the 95% ethanolic extract of Turmeric with 59.93±1.600% of scavenging effect. There was a trend of relatedness for the concentration of Flavonoids and Phenolic compound with the antioxidant activity. The extracts from cinnamon, clove and turmeric gave a good anti-microbial property against pathogenic bacteria and fungus. In turmeric crude we get 3 bands this shows there are 2 secondary metabolite in it but in purified sample we get 3 band as we use petroleum ether instead of hexane in purified sample so it may be the reason that as petroleum ether is slightly polar it break curcuminoid into curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bis-demethoxycurcumin. “Out of all samples analyzed,  it was confirmed that turmeric, cinnamon and clove have the higher potential for  antimicrobial property followed by garlic and ginger.” (*- equivalent to mM quercetin; ^- equivalent to mM Gallic acid).

Plants are widely used by people in traditional and modern medicine all over the world. In fact, all of their remedies can be used safely and without the side effects of drugs. Phytochemical analysis of medicinal plants has revealed that numerous bioactive compounds in plants traditionally used for medicinal purposes have many therapeutically properties. Hence in the present study, a general chemical identification of a Lebanese medicinal plant Urtica dioica was carried out. The results obtained validate the traditional uses of nettle, and showed that this plant possesses an important pharmaceutical value and leads to the isolation and characterization of three compounds from hexane extract. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectral methods [FTIR, GC-MS, 1H NMR] after column chromatography on silica gel.

  Peucedanum grande is a succulent herb; about a meter in height. The fruits are used in medicine and have been reported to possess important biological properties. The objective of the present investigation was the development of quality standards and phytochemical analysis of P. grande. This included morphological and histological characters, pH of aqueous solution, ash values, extractive values, successive extractive values, and loss on drying, fluorescence analysis, preliminary phytochemical screening and HPTLC finger printing profile of secondary metabolites. The findings of this study might be useful to supplement information in regard to its identification parameters and laying down pharmacopoeial standards; as standardization of herbal medicines is essential and is the need of the today. Key words: Peucedanum grande, extracts, phytochemical screening, HPTLC.