Isolation and Characterization of Palmitic Acid from Ethyl Acetate Extract of Root Bark of Terminalia Glaucescens

The aim of this study is to identify and characterized the bioactive compounds from the root bark of the plant. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the root bark extract of Terminalia glaucescens revealed the presence of steroids, terpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and cardiac glycoside. The plant has wide folk medicinal use in traditional medicine. The air dried root bark was pulverized to powder, subjected to hot extraction (soxhlet) with methanol, and fractionated into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions. Ethyl acetate as bioactive fraction based on sensitivity test was subjected to TLC and column chromatography. The isolated compound was colourless powder, which was further subjected to IR, UV, 13CNMR and 1HNMR for proper characterization and elucidation of the structure. The compound was concluded as palmitic acid

Phytochemical and Antibacterial Evaluation of Parinari curatetellifolia Planch Ex Benth (Chrysobalanaceae)

Parinari curatellifolia Planch ex Benth (Chrysobalanaceae) is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of pneumonia, wound infections, dressing of fractures and dislocation. P.curatellifolia stem bark extracts in methanol, ethylacetate and n-butanol were evaluated for antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis using cup plate method. The extracts were used at 50mg/ml concentration. The extracts were also screened for the presence of some secondary metabolites. The result of the antibacterial screening produced zones of inhibition ranging from 12-21mm for the methanolic extract while the ethylacetate and n-butanol fractions showed inhibition zones of 16-24mm respectively. The aqueous extract showed inhibition zones ranging from 12-20mm. Ampicillin (0.01mg/ml) used aspositive control, showed zones of inhibition ranging from 14-34mm. Ethylacetate fraction was the most active of the extracts on the test bacterial species. Water was used as negative control. The extracts inmost cases compared favorably with the ampicillin. The activity of the extracts was more on the gram positive bacteria than on the gram negative ones. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of theethylacetate fraction for B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa were 1.56mg/ml each, for E.coli and S. aureus were 3.13 mg/ml and 0.78mg/ml respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of the ethylacetate fraction for B.subtilis and S. aureus were 6.25mg/ml each, for P. aeruginosa and E.coliwere 12.50mg/ml each. The phytochemical screening revealed the  presence of anthraquinones, tannins, saponins, flavonoids,  cardiacglycosides, terpenoids, and carbohydrates. The antibacterial activity of the extracts may be attributable to the presence of these compounds in the extracts. The findings of this work lend support to the ethnomedical use of the plant.Key Words: Antibacterial; Phytochemistry; MIC; MBC; Parinari curatellifoli

Botany, chemistry, and pharmaceutical significance of Sida cordifolia: a traditional medicinal plant

Sida cordifolia Linn. belonging to the family, Malvaceae has been widely employed in traditional medications in many parts of the world including India, Brazil, and other Asian and African countries. The plant is extensively used in the Ayurvedic medicine preparation. There are more than 200 plant species within the genus Sida, which are distributed predominantly in the tropical regions. The correct taxonomic identification is a major concern due to the fact that S. cordifolia looks morphologically similar with its related species. It possesses activity against various human ailments, including cancer, asthma, cough, diarrhea, malaria, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, obesity, ulcer, Parkinson’s disease, urinary infections, and many others. The medical importance of this plant is mainly correlated to the occurrence of diverse biologically active phytochemical compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and steroids. The major compounds include β-phenylamines, 2-carboxylated tryptamines, quinazoline, quinoline, indole, ephedrine, vasicinone, 5-3-isoprenyl flavone, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-isoprenyl flavone, and 6-(isoprenyl)- 3-methoxy- 8-C-β-D-glucosyl-kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucosyl[1–4]-α-D-glucoside. The literature survey reveals that most of the pharmacological investigations on S. cordifolia are limited to crude plant extracts and few isolated pure compounds. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate many other unexplored bioactive phytoconstituents with evidences so as to justify the traditional usages of S. cordifolia. Furthermore, detailed studies on the action of mechanisms of these isolated compounds supported by clinical research are necessary for validating their application in contemporary medicines. The aim of the present chapter is to provide a detailed information on the ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and pharmacological aspects of S. cordifolia