IDENTIFICATION OF LINOLENIC ACID FROM PORTULACA OLERACEA LINN., BY HPLTC

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is an herbaceous weed belonging to the family Portulacaceae. It has high nutritional value and possesses potent pharmacological actions such as analgesic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, bronchodilator, neuropharmacological, anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antihypertensive. It is listed in a World Health Organization database because of these many health benefits. From the phytochemical investigations it is revealed that Purslane has the presence of antioxidants (vitamins A and C, α- tocopherol, β-carotene, and glutathione), linolenic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. This study aimed was to identify the linolenic acid content of Purslane extracts using HPTLC. In this study, three different solvents (Petroleum ether, methanol, and water) were used for the extraction of dried leaves and were compared. Successive solvent extraction was carried out with increasing polarity of the solvents. The extracts were analyzed for the identification of linolenic acid, and its concentration was determined using HPTLC. For HPTLC analysis, the mobile phase comprising of chloroform: methanol: water: ammonia (65:24:4:0.4 v/v/v/v) was used and the Rf value for standard linolenic acid was found to be 0.499. Linolenic acid was detected in all three extracts, and the amount of linolenic acid in petroleum ether extract was less as compared to methanolic extract; however, in aqueous extract negligible amount was detected. From the results, it was revealed that the methanolic extract exhibited the highest linolenic acid content; hence methanolic extract of dried leaves serves as a better solvent for the identification of linolenic acid.