Abstract:

The extraction of plant constituents is essential to isolate biologically active compounds and in understanding their role in disease prevention and treatment and in knowing their toxic effects as well. However, meagre information is available about the medicinal and pharmacological properties and biological activities of phytochemicals derived from some plants. The present study was designed to evaluate relative contributions of different biochemical and phytochemical components in alcohol and aqueous extracts of Punica granatum, Cinnamomum cassia, Trigonella foenum graecum and Cassia Auriculata. Alcoholic and aqueous extracts were prepared from the selected plants. The biochemical parameters carbohydrates, proteins and lipids of these plant extracts were evaluated in the extracts by appropriate methods. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the biochemical components in alcoholic extracts when compared to aqueous extracts of the experimental plants. The phytochemical compounds alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids were analysed in alcoholic and aqueous extracts. The results demonstrated the presence or absence of phytochemicals. The aqueous extract of the leaves and flowers of of Cassia auriculata showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides and absence of terpenoids and glycosides, saponins. The alcoholic and aqueous leaf extracts of Punica granatum showed the presence of glycosides, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, favonoids. Glycosides, alkaloids, phenols, favonoids were found to be present in both alcoholic and aqueous fruit extracts of Punica granatum. The aqueous extract of Punica granatum pulp showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides. The alcoholic extracts of Cinnamomum bark showed the presence of glycosides, alkaloids, tannins, favonoids, terpenoids, saponins and absence of flavonoids, tannins in aqueous ectract of Cinnamomum. The aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Trigonella foenum graecum seed showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides. These results suggested that levels of total phenolics, flavonoids and their FRAP indices exhibited specificity to different plants and their parts.

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