JOURNAL OF ASIAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PHARMACY - Volume 6, January - December, 2017

Pages: 10-14
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Qualitative Phytochemical Screening of Selected Medicinal Plant Species of the Philippines

Author: Maribeth R. Laurente*, John A. Adegoke, Eunice Adeola Ademakinwa, James Carlo C. Afable, Deemah H. Aguam, Christalyn Joy A. Bagsarsa, Sheen Dazel D. Balidang, Emily C. Cajandab, Bianca M. Cammayo, Mar

Category: Pharmacy

Abstract:

The use of plants as source of herbal therapeutic agents have been established long before modernization have completely conquered earth. The Philippines is known for its rich biodiversity, specially in its flora. The study focused on the investigation of the phytochemistry of fourteen commonly encountered medicinal plants in the Philippines. The presence of alkaloids, cardenolides, anthraquinones, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and cyanogenic glycosides were tested in the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa (Lythraceae), Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae), Plectranthus amboinicus (Fam. Lamiaceae), Jasminum sambac(Fam. Oleaceae), Punica granatum (Punicaceae), Apium graveolens Linn. (Apiaceae), Carmona retusa (Boraginaceae), Plectranthus scutellarioides (Lamiaceae), Senna alata (Fabaceae), Orthosiphone aristatus(Lamiaceae), Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae), Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae), Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae), and Peperomia pellucida (Piperaceae). The results have shown that majority of the selected plant species contain alkaloid, saponins and tannins. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity of the selected plant materials can be correlated on their phytochemistry.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Phytochemistry, Alkaloid, Saponin, Tannin