PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF MEDICINAL PLANT DRUG: WITHANIA SOMNIFERA LINN
Authors/Creators
- 1. Department of Botany, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad-500007, Andhra Pradesh, India
Description
ABSTRACT
Withania somnifera Linn is the most important plant commonly known as Ashwagandha belongs to the family solanaceae. It is an important medicinal plant that has been used in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicine for over 3,000 years. Ashwagandha contains alkaloids as well as steroidal lactones. Anahygrine, Anaferine, sominiferine, sominiferinine, withanine and withananine are chemical compounds present in ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is used in asthma, bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis. Secondary metabolites present in medicinal plants are responsible for curing various diseases, Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, quinines, cardiac glycosides, xantho proteins, glycosides, steroids, phenols, resins, carboxylic acid groups in varying concentrations and the maximum solubility of all the phytochemicals was observed in methanol, water and chloroform extractions, but resins, coumarins are absent in the petroleum ether, acetone, and also coumarins, carboxylic acid, quinines, xantho proteins are completely absent in the Petroleum ether. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the qualitative analysis of Withania somnifera phytochemicals in various solvents such as methanol, chloroform, petroleum ether, acetone and distilled water