Cadaba trifoliata Roxb is belongs to the family Capparaceae, important medicinal plant of Indian medicinal plants. The methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts along with dry powder of root were screened for the presence of phytochemicals. The phytochemical constituents were analyzed by qualitative and GC-MS method. Preliminary studies showed that the presence of Tannins, Steroids, Alkaloids, Glycosides, Flavonoids and Phenolic compounds. In the GC-MS analysis, 17 bioactive phytochemical compounds were identified in the alcoholic extract. The identification of phytochemical compounds in very high peak area, 1, 2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester (C24H38O4) with RT 24.95 has peak area 51.86% and 1-Methyl-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid (C6H11NO2) with RT 6.89 has peak area 20.58%. The main important compound phytol (C20H40O) with RT 18.95 ranks with peak area 1.21%. A nature compound contains diterpene activity anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant activity and antimicrobial activity.Keywords:- Cadaba trifoliata, phytochemical constituents, alcoholic root extracts

Kamaraj, M.

Prema, D.

Velmurugan, P.

English

International Journal of Phytomedicine

International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 379-384 
http://www.arjournals.org/ijop.html 
 
Research Article 
                                                            
ISSN: 0975-0185 
Phytochemical constituents of Cadaba Trifoliata Roxb. root extract 
 
P. Velmurugan1*, M. Kamaraj 1 , D. Prema2
 
*Corresponding author: 
P. Velmurugan 
1. PG & Research 
Department of Botany, Jamal 
Mohamed College, 
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. 
India 
2. Biological & 
Bioinformatics Research 
Centre, Tiruchirappalli, 
Tamil Nadu. 
India 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract 
 
Cadaba trifoliata Roxb is belongs to the family Capparaceae, 
important medicinal plant of Indian medicinal plants. The methanol, 
ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts along with dry powder of 
root were screened for the presence of phytochemicals. The 
phytochemical constituents were analyzed by qualitative and GC-MS 
method. Preliminary studies showed that the presence of Tannins, 
Steroids, Alkaloids, Glycosides, Flavonoids and Phenolic 
compounds. In the GC-MS analysis, 17 bioactive phytochemical 
compounds were identified in the alcoholic extract. The 
identification of phytochemical compounds in very high peak area, 
1, 2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester (C24H38O4)   with RT 
24.95 has peak area 51.86% and 1-Methyl-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic 
acid (C6H11NO2) with RT 6.89 has peak area 20.58%. The main 
important compound phytol (C20H40O) with RT 18.95 ranks with 
peak area 1.21%.  A nature compound contains diterpene activity 
anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant activity 
and antimicrobial activity. 
Keywords:- Cadaba trifoliata, phytochemical constituents, 
alcoholic root extracts. 
 
Introduction 
Today natural products derived from plants are 
being tested for presence of new drugs with new 
modes of pharmacological action. A special 
feature of higher plants is their capacity to 
produce a large number of secondary metabolites 
[1]. Recent studies are involved in the 
identification and isolation of new therapeutic 
compounds of medicinal importance from higher 
plants for specific diseases [2,3]. Knowledge of 
the chemical constituents of plant is helpful in the 
discovery of therapeutic agent as well as new 
sources of economic materials like oil and gums. 
The most important bioactive constituents of 
these plants are alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and 
phenolic compounds [4]. In India large number of 
plant species had been screened for their 
pharmacological properties but still a vast wealth 
of endangered species are unexplored. Medicinal 
plants are at interest to the field of biotechnology, 
as most of the drug industries depend in part on 
plants for the production of pharmaceutical 
compounds. 
Cadaba trifoliata (Capparaceae) in the folk 
system of medicine (Fig.1). This family of 
flowering plants containing 28 genera and about 
700 species of annual or perennial herbs, sub-
shrubs, shrubs or trees. The plant is an unarmed 
branched shrub up to 3 m height. Leaves are 
palmately trifoliate and the leaflets are oblong or 
doi:10.5138/ijpm.2010.0975.0185.02053 
©arjournals.org,  All  rights reserved. 
Velmurugan et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 379-384 
 
 
 
380
lanceolate [5]. It is locally called as Purna and 
Viluthi (in Tamil) and possesses anti-rheumatic, 
emmenagiague, anthelemintic and antibacterial 
properties [6,7]. Phytochemical analysis of the 
alcoholic extract indicated the presence of 
alkaloids, tannins, glycoside, steroids and 
flavonoids. Therefore, the global human 
population appears to be in the midst of an 
epidemic of diabetes. Reports from the World 
Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that 
diabetes mellitus is one of the major killers of our 
time, with people in Southeast Asia and Western 
Pacific being most at risk [8]. The reported to 
posses Stachydrine, 3-hydroxystashydrine from 
the stem, roots and codabine from leaves [9,10]. 
There is no report of chemical constituents 
isolated from this plant. The objective of this 
study was to evaluate the phytochemical 
compounds (quantitative method) using GC-MS 
analysis. 
 
Fig.  1. Habit of Cadaba trifoliata 
Materials and Methods  
Collection of Plant Material 
Leaves of C. trifoliata were collected from 
Periyamallai hills, near Thuvarankurichi in 
Manappari Talak, Tiruchirappalli District and 
identified and a voucher specimen was deposited 
in the Rapinat Herbarium, ST. Joseph’s college. 
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. 
 
Preliminary phytochemical analysis 
Preparation of Plant Extract 
The root of C.trifoliata was air-dried and crushed 
to small piece and powdered 30 grams of 
powdered plant materials mixed with 300 ml of 
various solvents. The extracts preparations were 
done as described previously [11]. The extracts 
were prepared by using soxhlet apparatus 
collected and stored in vial for further studies. 
A qualitative phytochemical test was used to 
detect the presence of alkaloid, tannin, saponin, 
flavonoid, glycoside and phenol they were carried 
out using standard Evans [3,4,12,14].      
Gas Chromatographs- Mass Spectrometry 
system 
Preparation of Plant Extract 
The root of Cadaba trifoliata was shade dried at 
room temperature, the root crushed powdered 10 
gram sample is extracted with 30 ml ethanol 
overnight and filtered in ash less filter paper with 
sodium sulphate (2 g) and concentrated the 
extract to 1 ml of bubbling nitrogen into the 
solution. The extracted material is taken for GC-
MS analysis. 
The GC-MS analysis of the C. trifoliata was 
performed using a Clarus 500 Perkin Elmer gas 
chromatography equipped with an Elite-5 
capillary column (5% Phenyl and 95% methyl 
polysaccharides siloxane) and mass detector 
turbomass gold of the company which was 
operated in EI mode. Elite wax (Polyethylene 
glycol) 30 nm × 0.25 mm × 1 μm df) is a polar 
column used in the estimation. An inert gas such 
as Hydrogen or nitrogen or Helium is used as a 
carrier gas at a flow rate 1 ml / min, split 10:1. 
The components of test sample is evaporated in 
the injection part of the GC equipment and 
segregated in the column by adsorption and 
desorption technique with suitable temperature 
programmed of the over controlled by software. 
Different components are eluted form based on 
the boiling point of the individual components. 
The GC column is heated in the oven between 
60° to 270° C. The time at which each component 
eluted from the GC column in termed as 
Velmurugan et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 379-384 
 
Retention Time (RT). The total GC running time 
at 36 min. The eluted component is detected in 
the mass detector. The spectrum of the unknown 
component is compared with the spectrum of the 
known components stored in the NIST library 
and ascertains the name, molecular weight and 
structure of the components of the test materials 
in GC-MS study. Identification of components 
were based on comparison of their mass spectra 
with those of Wiley and NIST Libraries and those 
described by Adams [15] as well as on 
comparison of their retention indices with 
literature.  
Result and Discussion 
The present study is carried out on the C. 
trifoliata the presence of medicinal bio active 
constituents. Phytochemical screening of the 
ethanolic root extract indicated the presence of 
alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, steroids and 
flavonoids. Phytochemical screening of the 
aqueous extract revealed the presence of 
glycosides, phenolic compounds, tannins and 
steroids. The qualitatively analyzed and the 
results are presented in Table-1. In the GC-MS 
analysis, 17 bioactive phytochemical compounds 
were identified in the ethanolic extract of plant. 
The identification of phytochemical compounds 
are based on the peak area, molecular weight and 
molecular formula. Namely  Propane,1,1,3-
triethoxy (C9H20O3), 1-methyl-pyrrolidine-2-
carboxylic acid (C6H11NO2), Azulene, 1,4-
dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl) (C15H18), Benzene,(1-
methylundecyl) (C19H32),  Benzene,(1-
ethylundecyl) (C19H32), 2-Cyclohexylpiperidine 
(C11H21N), Azulene, 1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-
methylethyl) (C15H18), naphthalene, 1,6-
dimethyl-4-(1- methylethyl) (C15H18), L-Serine, 
O-(phenylmethyl)-(C10H13NO3), n-Hexadecanoic 
acid (C16H32O2), Hexadecanoic acid,ethyl 
ester(C18H36O2), Phytol (C20H40O), 9,12-
Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z) (C18H32O2), Olic acid 
(C18H34O2), Phenol, 2,4-bis(1-phenylethyl) 
(C22H22O), Methanone, [1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-
methylethyl)-2-azulenyl]phenyl-(C22H22O), 1,2-
Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester 
(C24H38O4) The identification of phytochemical 
compounds in very high peak area, 1, 2-
Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester 
(C24H38O4)   with RT 24.95 has peak area 51.86% 
and 1-Methyl-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid 
(C6H11NO2) with RT 6.89 has peak area 20.58%. 
The main important compounds phytol (C20H40O) 
with RT 18.95 ranks with peak area 1.21%. The 
results are presented in Table-2 (Fig. 2 – 18). A 
total of 20 compounds were identified from the 
essential oils of the aerial parts of Ornithogalum 
procerum, the identified compounds represented 
70.27% of the total essential oils [16]. In the GC-
MS 26 bioactive phytochemical compounds were 
identified in the ethanolic extract of Aloe vera is 
reported to contain phyto are presented [17]. C. 
fruticosa is reported to contain terpenoids, 
flavones, sugar and proteins [18]. 
O
O
O
Propane, 1,1,3-triethoxy  
NH
2-Cyclohexylpiperidine  
Fig- 2               Fig- 3  
 
N
O
OH
1-Methyl-pyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid  
Fig- 4         
Azulene, 1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)  
Fig- 5  
 
 
 
381
Velmurugan et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 379-384 
 
Naphthalene,1,6-dimethyl-4-(1-methylethyl)  
  
 
Fig- 6      
NH2
OO
HO
L-Serine,O-(Phenylmethyl)-  
Fig- 7  
 
 
Benzene, (1-ethylundecyl)                    
 
 
Fig- 8 
Benzene, (1-methyldodecyl)       
Fig- 9  
 
 
 
O
HO
n-Hexadecanoic acid  
Fig- 10 
 
O
O
Hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester  
 
Fig- 11 
Benzene, (1-methyltridecyl)             
Fig- 12  
HO
Phytol  
Fig- 13 
              
O
HO
9,12-Octadecatrienoic acid (Z,Z,Z)     
Fig- 14 
 
O
OH
Oleic acid  
Fig- 15 
 
 
 
 
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Velmurugan et al. International Journal of Phytomedicine 2 (2010) 379-384 
 
OH
Phenol, 2,4-bis(1-phenylethyl)  
Fig-16 
O
Methanone, [1,4-dimethyl-7-(1-methylethyl)-2-azulenyl]phenyl  
                       Fig- 17 
 
O
OO
OH
1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, mono(2-ethylhexyl) ester  
Fig- 18 
Conclusion 
This study has revealed the presence of many 
secondary metabolites in the root of Cadaba 
trifoliata. The results obtained were comparable 
with those of standard drug Ciprofloxacin. It has 
the further confirmed that the plant extract could 
be used for the treatment of purgative and 
phlogistee. Isolation, purification and 
characterization of the phytochemical responsible 
for the aforementioned activity are in progress. 
Further work on the profile and nature of 
chemical constituents of C. trifoliata roots will 
provide more information on the bioactive 
principles responsible for their pharmacological 
properties.  
 
Acknowledgements 
The authors are thankful to Management of Jamal 
Mohamed College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli 
for offering facilities to carry out this study. 
 
 
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Phytochemical constituents of Cadaba Trifoliata Roxb. root extract

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Phytochemical constituents of Cadaba Trifoliata Roxb. root extract

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