PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIO MEDICINAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ELAEOCARPUS SPHAERICUS AND PINUS WALLICHIANA FROM UTTARAKHAND REGION OF INDIA

Abstract

newline Plants have been practiced as therapeutics since the beginning of human civilization. Plant extracts have several advantages over the purified compounds or synthesized molecules e.g. extracts are relatively cheaper, easily available and have better efficacy due to the synergistic interplay of different components. Uttarakhand is a treasure of medicinal plants. Elaeocarpous sphaericus (common name: Rudraksha) is famous for its spiritual and ethnopharmacological significance. Different studies have demonstrated various medicinal properties of the extracts of leaf, fruit and bead of E. sphaericus except anticancer properties. Pinus wallichiana (common name: Blue pine/Kail) is popular for its timber quality, gum and resin, but very limited reports are available on its pharmacological properties. The present study is focused to prepare a extract from the leaves of E. sphaericus and needles of P. wallichiana, using a modern method of extraction (i.e. pressurized liquid extraction), and to analyze its phytochemical and bio-medicinal properties. newlineThe plant parts were collected from Dehradun and Uttarkashi districts of Uttarakhand. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of the leaves of two plants were prepared through PLE in the accelerated solvent extractor (ASE). newlinePhytochemical analyses of the extracts were performed by various conventional (spectrophotometeric) and modern methods (HPTLC and GC-MS). Preliminary qualitative analysis of both the plant extracts revealed the presence of carbohydrate, proteins, phenols and flavonoids in aqueous and methanolic extracts. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were found higher in the extracts of E. sphaericus than that of P. wallichiana extracts. HPTLC analysis of E. sphaericus leaf extracts showed the presence of ascorbic acid, quercetin, gallic acid and hesperidin, whereas P. wallichiana needle extract showed the presence of ascorbic acid and quercetin. GC-MS analyses revealed the presensce of 9-12-octadecadien-1-ol (linoleyl alcohol), stigmost-5-En-3-ol, pentadeca