International Journal of Exclusive Global Research - Vol 3 Issue 3 March

AchyranthesAspera, Euphorbia Hirta and Parthenium Hysterophorus Medicinal Plants

Phytochemistry study of Haryana and Uttarkhand Region

Dr.K. S. Manjunatha

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kuvempu University, Post Graduate Centre,

Kadur-577548, Karnataka, India.

Abstract
Medicinalplantsarethemajorsourceofrawmaterialsandgoodresourcesforpharmaceutical
industry.Thesearethegoodsourceofprimaryandsecondarymetabolites.Inpresentstudyphytochemicalscreeningofthree
medicinalplantsofHaryana and Uttarkhand.
Achyranthusaspera,EuphorbiahirtaandPartheniumhysterophoruswerecarried
outbyusingstandardmethodsforconductingQualitativephytochemicalanalysisandstudyingthepresenceofactive
compoundslikeAlkaloids,Tannins,Saponins,Glycosides,Phenols,Flavonoids,Anthroquinone,TerpenoidsandSteroid
s.
Achyranthusasperashowedmaximumofthesephytocompoundsinethanolicextract.Ethanolicextractsofallplantspecies
revealedthepresenceofmostofthephytochemicals.

Keywords:Primarymetabolites,Ethanolicextracts,Qualitativephytochemicalanalysis.
Introduction
ThehistoryofmedicineinIndiacanbetracedto
theremotepast.Theearliestmentionofthemedicinaluse
ofplantsistobefoundinRig-Veda[1].Medicinalplants
synthesizeprimary&secondarymetabolitesbydifferent
pathways,whichareknownasphytochemicalcompounds
orbioactivecompounds.Knowledgeofthechemical
constituentsofplantsisdesirableforthediscoveryof
therapeuticagents[2].
Nowadaytheanalysisofphytochemicalsis
carriedoutbyusingdifferentlatesttechniquesalongwith
chemotaxonomy.Indianpharmaceuticalindustriesareusing
thesephytochemicalsonlargescale,forthesameitis
essentialtofindoutthephytochemicalsinmedicinalplants.
Henceduringthepresentinvestigations
phytochemicalscreeningofcertainplantsofHaryana
Uttarkhand
cityiscarriedonwithaviewtoanalysethepresenceof
chemicalconstituentsthatincludedprimary&secondary
metabolites.
Materials and methods
Collectionofplantmaterials
Thewholeplantpartsinthisinvestigationwere
collectedfromdifferentlocalitiesofHaryana and
Uttarkhandcityduring
thefloweringperiod.Theplantmaterialswere
taxonomicallyidentifiedandauthenticatedbyDr.S.K.
Upadhyaya(WellknownBotanistofIndia)asAchyranthusasper
a(Amaranthaceae),Euphorbiahirta
(Euphorbiaceae),Partheniumhysterophorus(Compositae).
Freshplantmaterialswerewashedwithtapwaterandwith
and distilledwater,airdriedmaterialgroundedtofinepowder
andstoredinairtightbottleswithproperlabelling.

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PreparationofExtracts
25gofcrudepowderofthemedicinalplantswere
takenwith150mloforganicsolvents(Ethanoland
Acetone)andkeptintothesoxhletapparatuswhichwasrun
upto48hrstillthegreencolouroftheplantmaterial
disappeared.Thenbothaqueous(crude)&solventextracts
werecollectedandstoredat4 oCinairtightbottlesand
testedforvariousphytocompoundsqualitatively.
Qualitativephytochemicalanalysis:[3,4]
Alkaloids:
About2.5gofplantmaterialwasextractedwith
solventandevaporatedtodryness;theresiduewasheated
onaboilingwaterbathwith2NHCl(5ml).Aftercooling,
themixturewasfilteredandtreatedwithfewdropsof
Mayer‟sreagent.Turbidityoftheresultingprecipitatewas
takenasevidenceforthepresenceofalkaloids.
Flavonoids:
5mlsolventextract(correspondingto1gofplant
material)wastreatedwithfewdropsofconcentratedHCl
andmagnesiumturnings(0.5g).Thepresenceofflavonoids
wasindicativeifpinkormagenta–redcolourdeveloped
within3min.
Glycosides:
Keller-kilanitest:
0.5gofsolventextractwasmixedwith2mlof
glacialaceticacidcontaining1-2dropsof2%solutionof
FeCl3.Themixturewasthenpouredintoanothertesttube
containing2mlofconcentratedH 2SO4.Abrownringatthe
interphaseindicatedthepresenceofcardiacglycosides.
Phenols:
TheSolventplantextractwastreatedwithfew
dropsofneutralFeCl3solution5%,intensecolour
developedindicatesthepresenceofphenols.
Terpenoids:
TheSolventextractofplantmaterialwastakenin
atesttubeandthenaddedfewpiecesoftinand3dropsof
thionylchloride,originofvioletorpurplecolorindicated
thepresenceofterpenoids.
Anthraquinones:
Borntreger’stest:
5gofplantextractwasshakenwith10mlofC 6H6
andfiltered,5.0mlof10%ammoniasolutionwasaddedto
thefiltrate.Themixturewasshakenandthepresenceof
violetcolourindicatedthepresenceoffreehydroxyl
anthroquinones.
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Steroids:
LiebermannBurchardreaction:
200mgplantextractin10mlchloroform,filtered
andconcentratedH2SO4wasaddedsidewise.Aredcolour
producedinthelowerchloroformlayerindicatedthe
presenceofsteroids.Anothertestwasperformedbymixing
crudeextractwith2mlofchloroform.Then2mlofeachof
concentratedH2SO4andaceticacidwerepouredintothe
mixture.Thedevelopmentofagreenishcoloration
indicatedthepresenceofsteroids.
Tannins:
1gofplantmaterialwasextractedwithsolvent
andevaporated.Theresiduewasextractedby10mlofhot
0.9%NaClsolution,filteredanddividedinto3equal
portions,(1)NaClsolutionwasaddedtooneportionofthe
testextract,(2)1%gelatinesolutiontoasecondportion(3)
gelatine-saltreagenttoathirdportion.Precipitationwith
thelatterreagentorwithboththesecondandthirdreagent
isindicativeofthepresenceoftannins.Positivetestsare
confirmedbytheadditionofFeCl 3solutiontotheextract
andthatresultedinacharacteristicblue–black,greenor
bluegreencolourandprecipitate.
Saponins:
About2.5goftheplantmaterialwasextracted
withboilingwater.Crudeextractwasmixedwith5mlof
distilledwaterinatesttubeanditwasshakenvigorously.
Theformationofstablefoamwastakenasanindicationfor
thepresenceofsaponins.
Results and discussion
TheresultsofanalysisaretabulatedinTable01,
Table02andTable03.Thephytochemicalstudyreveals
thepresenceofvariousphytochemicalsinaqueousand
solventextracts.
IntheEthanolextractofAchyranthusaspera,
variousphytochemicalsasAlkaloids,Flavonoids,Saponins,
Glycosides,Phenols,Anthroquinones,Terpenoids&
SteroidswerepresentexceptTannins.
EthanolextractofEuphorbiahirtashowedthe
presenceofallphytochemicalsanalysedexceptPhenols.
IntheEthanolicextractofPartheniumhysterophorusAl
kaloids,TanninsandFlavonoidswere
present,restofthecompoundslikeSaponins,Glycosides,
Phenols,Anthroquinons,TerpenoidsandSteroidswere
absent.(Table01)
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 Table01:Qualitativeanalysisofvariousphytochemicals
PlantNameAchyranthusasperaEuphorbiahirtaPartheniumhysterophorus
LocalNameChirchitaDudhghas,dudhiGajorGhassFamilyAmaranthaceaeEuphorbiac
eaeCompositaeAlkaloids+++ Flavonoids+++ Glycosides++- Phenols+--
Terpenoids++- Anthraquinone++- Steroids++- Tannins-++ Saponins++-

Solvent Used for Extraction: Ethanol

Note: Analysis is the average of three Independent Determinations.
InAcetoneextractofAchyranthusaspera, InAcetoneextractofPartheniumhysterophorusshowe
Saponins&Tanninswereabsentandothercompounds dthepresenceofAlkaloids,Glycosides,Flavonoids,
werefoundtobepresent. TerpenoidsandSteroidswhereasTannins,Saponins,
InAcetoneextractofEuphorbiahirtashowedthe PhenolsandAnthroquinonswereabsent.(Table02)
presenceofGlycosides,Phenols,FlavonoidsandSteroids
andrestofthePhytocompoundswereabsent.

Table02:Qualitativeanalysisofvariousphytochemicals
PlantNameAchyranthusasperaEuphorbiahirtaPartheniumhysterophorus
LocalNameChirchitaDudhghas,dudhiGajorGhassFamilyAmaranthaceaeEuphorbiac
eaeCompositaeAlkaloids+-+ Flavonoids+++ Glycosides+++ Phenols++-
Terpenoids+-+ Anthraquinone+-- Steroids+++ Tannins--- Saponins---
Solvent Used for Extraction: Acetone
Note: Analysis is the average of three Independent Determinations.

Table03:Qualitativeanalysisofvariousphytochemicals
PlantNameAchyranthusasperaEuphorbiahirtaPartheniumhysterophorus
LocalNameChirchitaDudhghas,DudhiGajorGhassFamilyAmaranthaceaeEuphorbiac
eaeCompositaeAlkaloids--- Flavonoids-+- Glycosides+++ Phenols---
Terpenoids+++ Anthraquinone+-- Steroids+++ Tannins-+- Saponins-+-
Solvent Used for Extraction: Water
Note: Analysis is the average of three Independent Determinations.

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 constitutedofvariousprimary&secondarymetabolites
InAqueousextractofAchyranthusasperaonly
whereasinPartheniumhysterophoruswereportedvarious
Glycosides,Terpenoids,AnthroquinonesandSteroidswere
foundtobepresent,whiletherestofthecompoundswere
foundtobeabsent.
InAqueousextractofEuphorbiahirta,Tannins,
Saponins,Glycosides,Flavonoids,TerpenoidsandSteroids
werepresent,whereasAlkaloids,Phenolsand
Anthroquinoneswerefoundtobeabsent.
InAqueousextractofPartheniumhysterophorustheaq
ueousextractshowedthepresenceofonly
Glycosides,TerpenoidsandSteroids,restofthecompounds
werefoundtobeabsent.(Table03)
Medicinalplantshaveawidevarietyofchemical
compounds,whichcanbesortedasprimary&secondary
metabolites[5].Traditionally,theplantisusedinasthma
andcough.Itispungent,antiphlegmatic,antiperiodic,
diuretic,purgativeandlaxative,usefulinoedema,dropsy
andpiles,boilsanderuptionsofskinetc.Crushedplantis
boiledinwaterandisusedinpneumonia.Infusionofthe
rootisamildastringentinbowelcomplaints.Theflowering
spikesorseeds,groundandmadeintoapastewithwater,
areusedasexternalapplicationforbitesofpoisonous
snakesandreptiles,usedinnightblindnessandcutaneous
diseases[6].Theplantisusedindropsy,piles,andskin
eruptions,colic,asdiuretic,astringentandpurgative[7-9].
E.hirtapossessesantibacterial,anthelmintic,
antiasthmatic,sedative,antispasmodic,antifertility,
antifungal,andantimalarialproperties.Rootsarealsoused
forsnakebites.[10].E.hirtaisreportedtohavean
antiasthmaticactivityduetotherelaxationeffectonthe
bronchialtubesandadepressantactiononrespiration[1].
ThedecoctionofP.hysterophorushasbeenused
intraditionalmedicinetotreatfever,diarrhoea,neurologic
disorders,urinarytractinfections,dysentery,malariaandas
emmenagogue[11].Partheniumhysterophorushasbeen
foundtobepharmacologicallyactiveasanalgesicin
muscularrheumatism,therapeuticforneuralgiaandas
vermifuge[12].Inbook„DictionaryofEconomicPlantsin
India‟Partheniumhysterophorusv,isdescribedasweed
foundinPoonaandisreportedtobeusedastonic,febrifuge
andemmenagogue.Thedecoctionofrootisusefulin
dysentry[13].Partheniumisalsoreportedaspromising
remedyagainsthepaticamoebiasis[14].InJamaica,the
decoctionisusedasaFlea-repellentbothfordogsandother
animals[15].
Thepreliminaryphytochemicaltestsleadthe
quantitativeestimationtolocatingthesourceofbioactive
chemicalcompounds.TheQualitativephytochemical
studiesduringthepresentanalysisrevealedthat
AchyranthusasperaandEuphorbiahirtaaremainly

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phytochemicalsinacetoneextractionwhichcanbe
quantifiedfortheuseinpharmaceuticalindustryandother
plantscanalsobequantified.

Conclusion
Thisstudyofthequalitativephytochemical
analysisrevealedthatthesephytochemicalsaremainly
presentintheEthanolicextractascomparedtoAcetonicor
AqueousextractinAchyranthusasperaandEuphorbia
hirtaasshowninTables.SotheEthanolicextractofthe
samplesofplantmaterialwerefoundtocontainthe
requiredmajorphytochemicalsandothernutritive
compoundsneededbythepharamaceuticalcompaniesas
wellasinfoodsupplements.Wealsofoundvarious
phytochemicalsinacetoneextractionofPartheniumhysterophor
us.Thequantitativeanalysisofthese
phytochemicalswillbeaninterestingareaforfurtherstudy.

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