International Journal of Bio-Technology and Research (IJBTR) ISSN 2249-6858 Vol. 3, Issue 3, Aug 2013, 69-72 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

STUDY OF SAPONINS CONTENT IN AILANTHUS EXCELSA ROXB. LEAVES

BHATT SHASHANK & DHYANI SURESH Department of Biotechnology, NIMS University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

ABSTRACT

Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. is a very useful plant for human health. Most of the secondary metabolites, present in it, show anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic activities etc. The presence of glycosides, phenols, saponins, tannins, lignins had been analysed in my article published previously indicating the affectivity of plant leaves. 81.73% saponins were extracted from dried leaves of Ailanthus excelsa. This quantity indicates the affectivity of antimicrobial activity and may increase in wet leaves. Saponins possess pharmacological properties including cytotoxic activity.

KEYWORDS: Ailanthus excelsa, Glycosides, Saponins

INTRODUCTION

Traditional medicine is based on various systems including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani in India. The traditional drug evaluation is based on phytochemical, pharmacological and allied approaches including various instrumental techniques. According to the world Health Organization (WHO), near about 80% of population in developing countries depends on the traditional medicine for its primary healthcare. Herbal drugs are a major part of the traditional system of medicine. According to Ayurveda and other traditional system of medicine, near about 1250 Indian medicinal plants are used in therapeutic preparation.

The active compounds such as primary and secondary metabolites play an important role in metabolic activities. These metabolites are carbohydrate, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins etc. Various active compounds present in medicinal plants are used in the treatment of different diseases and to relieve from pain (Okigbo et. al.; 2008). Different activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antipyretic effects of medicinal plants are based on metabolites (Cowman; 1999).

These active principles or compounds are manufactured chemically to produce the synthetic drugs that are used in the allopathic or modern system of medicine. Different medicinal plants are used for the preparation of drug. They have different types of activities by which they involve into medicinal plants categories.

One of the plants is Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. that has many types of activities. Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. belongs to simaroubaceae family. It is commonly known as mahanimb that is originally from China. It is also known as the ‘Tree of Heaven’. Different parts of this plant are used in treatment for various diseases (British Pharmacopoeia, 1988). Ailanthus is used for the treatment of wounds and skin eruption (L. V. Asolkar et al.1992).

The root bark of this plant possesses cytotoxic and antitumor activity (M. Ogura 1977). In the current study, it was found that ethanolic extract of plant leaves have hepatoprotective effect on experimental liver damage in rats (V. I. Hukkeri, 2002) and anti-diabetic activity (W. Cabrera et al. 2008). Alkaloids , flavonoids , quossinoides , terpenoids , sterols and saponins presented in Ailanthus excelsa (C. R. Mehta 1959, S. Rahman et al. 1997, S.K. Kapoor et al. 1971 , K. Kubota et al. 1997). The alcoholic extract of leaf and stem bark exhibits high anti-implantation and early abortifacient activity. 70 Bhatt Shashank & Dhyani Suresh

MATERIAL AND METHODS Identification of Plant Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. grows in most of the parts of India. The Ailanthus excelsa plant was identified and authenticated from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (Central University) Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand, India as Herbarium Specimen No. (GUH 20705) by Dr. R.M. Painuli herbarium Incharge.

Collection of Plant Materials

I collected plant leaves from Mandsaur, district Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. District Mandsaur is situated at the northern projection of Madhya Pradesh between the parallels of latitude 230 45' 50" North and 250 2' 55" North, between the meridians of longitude 740 42' 30" East and 750 50' 20" East.

Figure 1: Map of Madhya Pradesh

Figure 2: Herbarium Sheet of Ailanthus excelsa (20705)

Quantitative Estimation of Saponins (Obadoni BO, Ochuko PO; 2001)

20gm of sample was mixed in 200ml of 20% aqueous ethanol. The suspension was heated over a hot water bath for 4 hrs. with constant stirring at about 55ºC. The mixture was filtered and the residue re-extracted with another 200 ml of Study of Saponins Content in Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Leaves 71

20% ethanol. The combined extracts were reduced to 40 ml over water bath at about 90ºC. The concentrate was transferred into 250 ml separating funnel and 20ml of diethyl ether was added and shaken vigorously. The aqueous layer was recovered while the ether layer discarded. The purification process was repeated. 60 ml of n-butanol was added. The combined n-butanol extracts were washed twice with 10 ml of 5% aqueous NaCl. The remaining solution was heated in a water bath. After evaporation, the sample was dried in an oven upto a constant weight and saponins contents were calculated in percentage.

% Saponins = W2 –W1 x 100 Wt of sample 1

Where

W1 = Weight of evaporating dish.

W2 =Weight of dish + Sample.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Different active metabolic compounds are present in different parts of plant. Most of the important compounds are secondary metabolites that help in the activation of primary metabolites and also help in the prevention of plant’s parts from insects. Phytochemical study of secondary metabolites in dried Ailanthus excelsa leaves showed the presence of different metabolites such as glycosides, saponins, phenols tannins and lignins. (Shashank bhatt et al. 2011).

Saponins are an especial class of glycosides. 81.73% saponins were found present in Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. leaves. They are attached to one or more sugar side chains and have bitter taste. Saponins have foaming properties (Fluck, 1973). They have active antifungal activity (Sodipo et. al., 1991), antitumor, anti-mutagenic activity and also can reduce the risk of human cancers by preventing cancer cells from growing. It shows the good activity against fungi.

CONCLUSIONS

In the study of Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. leaves, the secondary metabolic compounds in dried leaves were phytochemically analysed and found glycosides, phenols, tannins, saponins and lignins. Saponins have wide range of pharmacological activities including expectorant, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antifungal, antibacterial and many other (Sparg et al. 2004; Sahu et al. 2008). The result indicates the affectivity of leaves against diseases. Saponins have highly antimicrobial activity that protects all parts of plants. Therefore, it is concluded that the dried leaves of Ailanthus excelsa have medicinal properties.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praying and dedicating my research article to Maa Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, I find no words to express my deepest gratitude to my parents, Mr. Krishna Kumar Bhatt and Mrs. Subhadra Bhatt whose encouragement helped me to go ahead on this bright path. I share the credit of my work to respectable elder brother, Mr. Mayank Bhatt who very often guided me in the work.

The research work would have been a dream, had not my way been enlightened by my well wishers and the above respectables. Last but not least, the Almightly God is unforgettable without whose kindness nothing could happen.

Table 1: Secondary Metabolite Quantity Presents in Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Leaves Secondary Metabolite % Quantity Sample weight 20.0818 gm 72 Bhatt Shashank & Dhyani Suresh

Table 1: Contd., Sample Total weight 89.1665 Dry sample weight 72.7532 % Saponins 81.73%

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