PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMISTRY, HPTLC AND FT-IR ANALYSIS IN GLYCOSMIS PENTAPHYLLA (RETZ.) DC. – AN ETHNOBOTANICALLY IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANT

Medicinal plants are often used by humankind since their evolution. They are known to have prominent therapeutic potential. The present work is conducted on Glycosmis pentaphylla (Rutaceae) an ethnobotanically important medicinal plant rich in secondary metabolites. The plant possesses metabolites like alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, etc., which can be used against various illnesses. The plant is traditionally used by the folklore people in many parts of the world. The aim of the study is to investigate the bioactive compounds present and to evaluate the significance of the therapeutic and pharmacological uses of the phytoconstituents. All the standard phytochemical and spectroscopic procedures were followed for the detection and estimation of phytoconstituents. The leaves, stem, and root of Glycosmis pentaphylla were collected and was extracted using various solvents based on their polarity. Preliminary phytochemical analysis reveals the occurrence of several secondary metabolites. The quantitative estimation exhibited the presence of secondary metabolites abundantly in leaves on comparison with stem and root. Further, an HPTLC analysis to determine the number of phytoconstituents was also conducted on the leaf extract. The preliminary and HPTLC results revealed the presence of more constituents on the leaf extract, and hence, this was further subjected to an FT-IR analysis to determine the major functional group in the crude extract. From this study, it can be concluded that the ethnomedicinal plant Glycosmis pentaphylla contains various bioactive compounds. Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies are an urgent need for the isolation and discovery of some novel drugs to cure several disorder.