Extraction, Qualitative and Quantitative Determination of Secondary Metabolites of Bergenia Ciliata (How) Sternb Rhizome

摘要

In the last few years, there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine and gaining popularity both in developing and developed countries because of their natural origin and less side effects. Medicinal plants continue to be an important therapeutic aid for alleviating ailments of humankind. Bergenia ciliata Sternb ( B. ciliate , Saxifragaceae) commonly known as Paashaanbhed is a rhizomatic herb with fleshy leaves, growing upto 30 cm tall, having a stout creeping rhizomatous rootstock with scars and intermittent axillary buds. Plant is quite hardy and able to survive frost during winter turning reddish in colour. It is evergreen and flowers in April to June. Its flowers are white-pink and purple in colour. Stem is short and the rhizome comes out from the cervices of rocks and hangs in the air in sloppy areas. Leaves are 5-30 cm long, glabrous, sparsely hairy in margins, broadly obovate or elliptic, finely or sparsely denticulate or shallowly sinuatedenate. It is also reported to cure fevers, diarrhoea, boils ophthalmia and cough. It is also used to dissolve kidney and bladder stones and forms an important ingredient in various kidney curative herbal drugs. The important phytochemicals of this plant include bergenin, gallic acid, (+)-catechin, Paashanolactone, sitoindoside, quercitin, (+) afzelechin etc tannic acid, albumen, mucilage, glucose, wax, metarbin and mineral salts, saponin, flavonoid, glycosides and polysaccharides, xyloglucan, taraxerol, carotenoids, cryptoxanthin. The aim of the present study is to examine B. ciliate rhizomes for phytochemical profile. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, fixed oil and fats. The total phenolics content of ethyl acetate and methanolic extract was (208,442mg/100mg), followed by flavonoids (433, 446mg/100mg). The present study concluded that the crude extract of B. ciliate is a rich source of secondary phytoconstituents which impart significant antioxidant potential. This work also contributes significantly to support the claim about the use of this herb in folk medicines.