EXTRACTION, PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND TLC OF BASELLA ALBA

Traditional systems of medicine continue to be widely practised on many accounts. Population rise, inadequate supply of drugs, prohibitive cost of treatments, side effects of several synthetic drugs and development of resistance to currently used drugs for infectious diseases have led to increased emphasis on the use of plant materials as a source of medicines for a wide variety of human ailments. Basella alba L. is an important green leafy vegetables found commonly in the tropical regions of the world. The plant is used as a substitute for true spinach (i. e. Spinacea oleracea L.) and also has great ethnomedicinal importance. Different studies have proved that the plant is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C along with flavonoids, saponins, carotenoids, many amino acids and organic acids. Various in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that the plants is enriched with active substances/principles having medicinal potential. Major biological activities exhibited by Basella alba is androgenic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiulcer, antiviral, CNS depressant, hepatoprotective and wound healing, properties. Besides these all the plant possess a valuable ethnomedicinal importance and are used to cure digestive disorders, skin diseases, bleeding piles, pimples, urticaria, irritation, anemia, whooping cough, leprosy, aphthae, insomnia, cancer, gonorrhea, burns, headache, ulcers, diarrhea, liver disorders. This study deals with phytochemical analysis of Basella alba. The leaves of the plant were collected & subjected phytochemical screening. Further total flavonoid content and TLC was performed to analyse the phytoconstituents . The results showed that yields were found to be (6.32% w/w of crude drug) of hydroalcoholic extract with dark brown colour semisolid mass, for Basella alba. Phytochemical screening was revealed for the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, carbohydrates, tannins, resins, flavonoids, steroids, proteins and amino acids. Total flavonoid content in Hydroalcoholic  extract of Basella alba was found to be 0.518 mcg/ml. The RT, area & % assay for Hydroalcoholic  extract of Basella was found to be 2.826, 1131.26 & 0.013 respectively.

Keywords: Basella alba, TLC, Phytochemicals, Herbal medicine, Flavonoids