PHYSIOCHEMICAL EVALUATION, PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND CHROMATO-GRAPHIC FINGERPRINT PROFILE OF WOODFORDIA FRUTICOSA (L.) KURZ EXTRACTS

• Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz. is a plant with vast medicinal properties. The plant and its parts are reported to be used for the treatment of hemorrhoids, dysentery, diarrhoea, liver diseases, piles, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, ulcers, wounds, skin diseases, fever, headache, herpes, etc. The present work attempts to evaluate the physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical screening using various extracts of W. fruticosa (Family- Lythraceae). The herbal standardization was carried out on the basis of physico-chemical properties. Physicochemical parameters including ash values, extractive values and fluorescence analysis were evaluated. The qualitative phytochemical screening using various solvent extracts of plant revealed the presence of most of the biologically active phytochemicals in the methanolic extract of Woodfordia fruticosa leaves. TLC profiling of in vivo and in vitro plant part extracts gives an idea about the presence and confirmation of various phytochemicals. TLC screening showed the presence of ellagic acid (Rf 0.54), gallic acid (Rf 0.61), quercetin (Rf 0.8), myricetin (Rf 0.96) and β-sitosterol (Rf 0.58). Results confirmed the presence of therapeutically potent compounds in the leaf extract predominantly tannins and terpenoids.