Arif Hussain Bhat et al. /Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 6(3), 2018, 145-149. Research Article ISSN: 2349 – 7106 Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Journal home page: www.ajrcps.com PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS EXTRACTS FROM RHIZOMES OF ARISAEMA UTILE Arif Hussain Bhat* 1, Ghulam Mustafa Rather 1, Aparna Alia 2, Bharty Kumar 1 1* Department of Botany, Government M.V.M. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. 2Department of Botany, Rajeev Gandhi College, Shahpura, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. ABSTRACT Medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals or bionutrients. Studies have shown that these phytochemicals have an important role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and coronary heart diseases. The present study was conducted for the photochemical analysis of different solvent extracts from rhizomes of Arisaema utile plant. Phytochemical analysis of the different solvent extracted samples suggested the presence or absence of various metabolites including steroids, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, carbohydrates and fats in varying concentrations. The present study provides evidence that solvent extracts of Arisaema utile contains medicinally important bioactive compounds and this justifies the use of plant species as traditional medicine for treatment of various diseases. KEYWORDS Phytochemicals, Alkaloids, Steroids, Terpenoids, Flavonoids and Saponins. INTRODUCTON Arisaema utile is a tuberous perennial plant which Author for Correspondence: belongs to the family Araceae and subfamily Aroideae. It can be found growing on rocky slopes Arif Hussain Bhat, at an altitude of 2,400-4,600 meters. It grow in shady, moist, well-drained and fertile soil. Department of Botany, Arisaemas are tuberous perennials that die back to Government M.V.M. Bhopal, the ground in winter. Arisaema utile emerges in Madhya Pradesh, India. spring. They are found in forests and open hillsides in the Himalayas from Himachal Pradesh, India to Bhutan. Most of the species from genus Araceae Email: [email protected] have a history of use in folk medicine for the treatment of various infectious diseases. Arisaema utile is a promising alternative to the commercially Available online: www.uptodateresearchpublication.com July – September 145 Arif Hussain Bhat et al. /Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 6(3), 2018, 145-149. available standards like Kenamycin and Ascorbic last two decades, the pharmaceutical industry has acid for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities made massive investment in pharmacological and respectively. Further this plant also shows chemical researches all over the world in an effort prominent cytotoxic activity against few cancer cell to discover much more potent drugs, rather, a few lines 1,2. Therefore this plant needs to be properly new drugs. Plants have successfully passed the tests examined for the phytoconstituents which can of commercial screenings. Roughly estimated revolutionalise the medical science. Medicinal 35,000-75,000 medicinal plants can make a plants have been of age long remedies for human significant contribution as a re-emerging health aid diseases because they contain components of to fulfill the health vacuum 12 . About 13,000 plant therapeutic value 3. Some of them are also used for species worldwide are being used to yield drugs to prophylactic purposes. An increasing interest in treat different diseases 13 . Plants have the ability to herbal remedies has been observed in several parts synthesize a variety of primary and secondary of the world and many of the herbal remedies have metabolites. These metabolites are responsible for been incorporated into orthodox medicinal plant various important biological functions including practice. Diseases that have been managed antibacterial, antifungal, anti-diabetic, anticancer traditionally using medicinal plant include malaria, activities etc. These biologically important epilepsy, infantile convulsion, diarrhea, dysentery, compounds include glycosides, alkaloids, saponins, fungal and bacterial infections 4. Medicinal herb is resins, oils, tannins, sterols, flavonoids etc 14 . considered to be a chemical factory as it contains Phytochemical screening of different plants for such multitude of chemical compounds like alkaloids, bioactive compounds leads to preliminary screening glycosides, saponins, resins, oleoresins, of the plant as potential medicinal plant 15 . sesquiterpene, lactones and oils (essential and fixed) 5. India has one of the oldest, richest and most MATERIAL AND METHODS diverse cultural traditions associated with the use of Plant Material medicinal plants. According to an estimate, 120 or The Arisaema utile plant material was collected so plant based drugs prescribed for use through the from Gulmarg area of District Budgam of Jammu world come from just 95 plant species 6. Natural and Kashmir, India. The localities were the plant antimicrobials can be derived from plants, animal material was collected are usually situated between tissues and microorganisms 7. The shortcomings of 2400-4600m. Voucher specimen of Arisaema utile the drugs available today propel the discovery of bearing specimen no 27911, was deposited at new pharmacotherapeutic agents from medicinal KASH herbarium in centre of plant taxonomy, plant research 8. The amount of phytochemical University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and substances varies considerably from species to Kashmir, India 1. species and even from plant to plant, depending on Preparation of extracts the age and various ecological and climatic factors9. To prepare the Methanolic, Chloroformic and Plants have limitless ability to synthesize aromatic Hexane extracts, 200gms of shade dried plant substances, mostly phenols or their oxygen- material were grinded to powder. It was separately substituted derivatives 10 . Most of the natural subjected to soxhlet extraction with the above products are secondary metabolites and about solvents in order of their increasing polarity. The 12,000 of such products have been isolated so far. solvents were then evaporated under reduced These products serve as plant defense mechanisms pressure and dried using a rotary evaporator at against predation by microorganisms, insects and 55°C. Dried extracts were stored in labeled sterile herbivores 11 . Today there is growing interest in flasks at 5°C in the refrigerator, until when required chemical composition of plant based medicines. for use. Several bioactive constituents have been isolated and studied for pharmacological activity. During the Available online: www.uptodateresearchpublication.com July – September 146 Arif Hussain Bhat et al. /Asian Journal of Research in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 6(3), 2018, 145-149. Phytochemical analysis A deep purple color that changes to red indicates Chemical tests for the screening and identification the presence of terpenoids. of bioactive chemical constituents in the medicinal Test for Steroids: Salkowaski test plant under study were carried out in extracts using 10 mg of extract was dissolved in 2 ml of the standard procedures as described by 16-19 . chloroform and 2ml of concentrated sulphuric acid Phytochemical analysis for different class of was added from the side of the test tube. Test tube compounds was shaken for few minutes. The development of Test for Flavonoids reddish brown colouration in chloroform layer 0.2 grams of plant extracts was added into test tube indicated the presence of sterols. containing 2ml of diluted sodium hydroxide and Fatty Acids mixed well. After mixing 2ml of diluted 0.5 ml of extract was mixed with 5 ml of ether. hydrochloride was added into the test tubes and These extract was allow it for evaporation on filter observed for colour change. The appearance of the paper and dried the filter paper. The appearance of yellow colouration indicated the presence of transparence on filter paper indicates the presence flavonoids. of fatty acids. Test for Alkaloids 0.5 to 0.6 g of various extract was mixed in 8 ml of RESULTS 1% HCl, warmed and filtered. 2 ml of the filtrate Analysis of the data showed that the Phytochemical were treated separately with both reagents analysis of different solvent extracted samples from (Maeyer’s and Dragendorff‘s), after which it was rhizomes of Arisaema utile showed the presence of observed whether the alkaloids were present or several bioactive compounds in varying quantities absent. including steroids, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, When a drop of crude extract was mixed with carbohydrates and oils (Table No.1). The presence Dragendroff’s regent alkaloids gave reddish brown of these bio-active compounds may be responsible precipitate indicating the presence of alkaloids. for their bioactivities When the extract was mixed with Mayer’s reagent the appearance of cream colored precipitate DISCUSSION indicates the presence of alkaloids. Phytochemical screening of the different extracts Test for Saponins: Foam Test from Arisaema utile revealed that methanolic crude 2.0 g of various extracts were mixed with 10 ml of extract contain steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, distilled water and was shaken vigorously to the terpinoids, carbohydrates and oils in moderate to formation of stable persistent froth. The frothing higher concentrations while saponins in lesser was mixed with 3 drops of olive oil and shaken concentration. The n-hexane soluble samples vigorously for the formation of emulsion thus a possessed