Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of Senna alata leaves

Abstract

The crude methanolic extracts derived from the Senna alata leaves was screened in vitro for possible phytochemical and biological. Crude plant powders were extracted sequentially with methanol and the dried extracts obtained demonstrated the presence of significant pharmacological activity on diabetes, microorganisms responsible for disease. The objective of this study is to characterize the functional compounds that were extracted and separated from leaves of Senna alata and were carried out using different methods using Thin Layer Chromatography ( TLC), Vacuum Liquid Chromatography (VLC), Column Chromato graphy. Under phytochemical analysis, antioxidant test & Chemical screening was done. The antioxidant property found in crude methanolic extracts derived from the Senna alata leaves was very good. S. alata leaves have also been found to contain anthraquinones and anthracene derivatives of rhein, emodol, aloe-emodin, sennosides A and B, 4,5- dihydroxy-1-hydroxymethylanthrone and 4,5-dihydroxy-2- hydroxymethylanthrone.Phytochemical screening of the leaves and roots of S. alata revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, tannins, saponins, phenols, flavonoids, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosidess. Amongst the secondary metabolites are steroids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, anthrones, and a few less common compounds such as ellagitannin, naphthalene, phenolic acid, purine, and xanthone.Of special interest are compounds such as kaempferol glycosides and anthraquinones, already proven to have antimicrobial properties.