ANALYTICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND PHYLOGENETIC STUDIES OF CLERODENDRUM PHLOMIDIS LINN. F. LEAVES

Clerodendrum phlomidis Linn. f. (Lamiaceae) is a well known medicinal plant used for the treatment of nervous disorders and mental diseases. Hence, the study was planned to investigate the various extracts, fractions and reported compounds of C. phlomidis leaves for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and cytotoxic activity. Crude polyamine fraction (CPF) showed highest percentage inhibition (67.38%) of AChE. The unsaponified petroleum ether fraction of methanol extract (UPFME) showed high lethality with an LC50 value of 1130.70 μg/mL against brine shrimp lethality bioassay. β-carotene was identified for the first time from C. phlomidis leaves which was further quantified by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The β-carotene content of the leaves was found to be 0.0218 %w/w. DNA analysis of C. phlomidis leaves was carried out which was then compared to the phylogenetic tree of Lamiaceae. The cladistic analysis of C. phlomidis confirmed its phylogenetic origin from Africa and not from Asia.