Preliminary Phytochemical analysis of leaf extract of Blumea lacera DC at Gaya District

Blumea lacera DC. is a wild herb belonging to Asteraceae family. It is commonly found in wastelands and agricultural fields of India. The plant has been used in traditional medicine for treating wounds, skin diseases, boils and inflammation. The main reason for medicinal use is presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and tannins. However, the amount of these compounds can vary with geographical location, soil type and climatic condition.The present study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical profile of leaf extracts of B. lacera collected from five different locations of Gaya District, Bihar. The locations selected were Gaya City, Belaganj, Bodhgaya, Tekari and Dobhi. The leaves were extracted using three solvents: methanol, ethanol and distilled water. Both qualitative and quantitative phytochemical tests were performed. Results indicated that methanol extract gave the highest yield compared to other solvents. Qualitative analysis showed presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins and saponins in all samples. Quantitative analysis revealed that Dobhi and Tekari samples had significantly higher total phenol and flavonoid content. The highest phenol content 78.9 mg GAE/g and flavonoid content 61.4 mg QE/g was recorded in Dobhi sample. Belaganj sample showed lowest values. This study concludes that geographical variation affects the chemical composition of B. lacera. Plants from Dobhi and Tekari are better in terms of phytochemical content. The high amount of phenols and flavonoids supports the traditional use of this plant for antimicrobial and wound healing purpose. Further work is needed to isolate and identify the active compounds responsible for medicinal activity.