COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ETHNOBOTANICALLY IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PARASITIC HERB: ALECTRA CHITRAKUTENSIS Original Article SHITAL K. SHARMA 1* , ANITA S. PATIL 1 , R. L. S. SIKARWAR 2 1 Lab no. 106, Plant Secondary Metabolite Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati 444602 (M. S.), India, 2 Arogyadham, (J. R. D. Tata Foundation for Research in Ayurveda and Yoga Sciences), Deendayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot, Distt-Satna (M. P.), India Email: shital_sharma24@yahoo.co.in Received: 28 Jan 2016 Revised and Accepted: 01 Mar 2016 ABSTRACT Objective: Alectra chitrakutensis (M. A. Rau) R. Prasad & R. D. Dixit is a critically endangered and ethnobotanically very important plant. Official drug i.e. dried rhizome of the plant has been reported to be used for treatment of leprosy, tuberculosis, paralysis, oedematous swelling, fevers, intestinal worms and constipation. Besides having high medicinal properties, detail studies on chemical constituents present in the rhizome of this particular species have not been done so far. Thus, in present study efforts were made for evaluation of phytochemical as well as physicochemical analysis of the rhizome collected from six different places of the Chitrakoot region of Madhya Pradesh (M. P.) and Uttar Pradesh (U. P.). Methods: Phytochemical analysis of the rhizome was carried out as per standard protocol given in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API). Separation and qualitative phytochemical screening were done by using an advance technique of High-performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Results: The study revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, carbohydrates, starch, saponin, tannins, etc. in the rhizome of the plants, and the study confirmed the chemotaxonomic resemblance among all the collected plant materials. Conclusion: Comparative study of six rhizome samples of A. Chitrakutensis provides authenticity for establishing Pharmacopoeial standardization of drug and evidence of the study proves the chemotaxonomic similarities of official drug. Keywords: Alectra chitrakutensis, Endangered plant, Quality control, Physicochemical, Phytochemical analysis, HPTLC © 2016 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) INTRODUCTION A. chitrakutensis, family Scrophulariaceae is a critically endangered annual root parasitic herb. It is locally known as ‘Nirgundikand’ found in confined localities in the Chitrakoot region of Madhya Pradesh and also in Uttar Pradesh, India [1]. The species grows as a parasite on the threadlike roots of white-flowered Vitex negundo L. Chitrakoot is very rich in ethnomedicobotanical diversity. The tribal people use locally available plant species for the treatment of human as well as livestock ailments [2]. A. chitrakutensis is one of them having high-value medicinal properties. Ethnobotanically, the whole plant has been reported to be used for treatment of diverse deadened diseases. However, the rhizome is used to cure leprosy, tuberculosis, paralysis, oedematous swelling, fevers, intestinal worms and constipation. The previous study has reported various ethnobotanical uses of rhizomes, for example, paste of the rhizome mixed with cow urine is given to leprosy patients [3]; similarly, dried and powdered rhizome is used to cure other skin diseases. For instant relief from constipation rhizome paste is taken with milk. Besides, rhizome paste is given once a day for 2-3 d to expel intestinal worms. Likewise, for the treatment of malaria, fresh rhizome paste with cow urine is given to a patient twice a day. Rhizome powder is also given to cure paralysis and piles. The plant and rhizome extract with almond, cucumber, watermelon, long cucumber, cardamom and rose petal is taken as an invigorating tonic. In case of Spermatorrhoea, rhizome powder is given with milk [2]. Preliminary phytochemical investigations carried out and reported the presence of steroids, glycosides, flavonoids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, saponins and tannins in the whole plant extracts [4]. A carotinoid, an orange-yellow color pigment azafrin, and mannitol were also found in the rhizome [5]. Since, A. chitrakutensis is a critically endangered and endemic species of high medicinal value. Until now, the importance of this species was recorded only in few folklore literatures; furthermore, no records were found to establish pharmacopoeial evaluation of the rhizome which is the plant part of medicinal interest. Owing to the significant medicinal properties of the rhizome, there is an urgent need to identify and characterize the various primary as well as secondary metabolites present in the rhizome so as to prepare pharmacopoeial standards and a novel drug of therapeutic use. Therefore, the present study deals with the physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation of the rhizome of the plant A. chitrakutensis collected from six different places. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection and identification of plant material Authentic plant materials were collected from six different places in the Chitrakoot region of M. P. and U. P. in between the month of February- March 2012 under the supervision and guidance of R. L. S. Sikarwar; speciemen herbarium was prepared and submitted vide herbarium number 319 in the repository at “Arogyadham” (JRD Tata Foundation for Research in Ayurveda and Yoga Science), Deendayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot, (M. P.). The distinctive places from where the material was collected are Herbal Garden, Deendayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot (M. P.), Narayanpur Hills, Chitrakoot (U. P.), Bank of Mandakini river, Satna, Chitrakoot (M. P.), Bank of Bagey river, Badausa (U. P.), Bank of Bagey river, Banda (U. P.) and Lodwara Hill, Chitrakoot (U. P.). Processing of plant material Rhizomes were separated from aerial parts of the plant, thoroughly washed with tap water and dried in the hot air oven at 50C and powdered by using a grinder. After grinding all the samples were passed through sieve of 40-60 mesh size and kept in a container for further use. Powder analysis The fluorescence study of powdered drugs was performed using different chemicals under the UV light (254 nm and 366 nm) and in visible light according to the standard methods [6-7]. Physicochemical evaluation Physico-chemical analysis such as moisture content, ash value, and extractive values were performed using standard protocols given in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India [8]. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN- 0975-1491 Vol 8, Issue 4, 2016