Biochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry

Abstract

Phytochemical Analysis of Medicinal Plants Occurring in Local Area of Mardan

Abdul Wadood, Mehreen Ghufran, Syed Babar Jamal, Muhammad Naeem, Ajmal Khan, Rukhsana Ghaffar and Asnad

Medicinal plants have bioactive compounds which are used for curing of various human diseases and also play an important role in healing. Phytochemicals have two categories i.e., primary and secondary constituents. Primary constituents have chlorophyll, proteins sugar and amino acids. Secondary constituents contain terpenoids and alkaloids. Medicinal plants have antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammation activities. The present study involves ten different medicinal plants Acacia nilotica, Psidium gujauva, Luffa cylindrical, Morus alba, Morus nigra, Momordica charantia, Fagonia cretica, Punica granatum, Ficus palmate and Prunus persica locally available in Mardan region of Pakistan. The leaves of the selected medicinal plants were washed, air dried and then powdered. The aqueous extract of leaf samples were used for the phytochemical analysis to find out the phytochemical constituents in the plants. The main objective of the research work was to check the presence or absence of the phytochemical constituents in all the selected medicinal plants. The results of the phytochemical analysis of these medicinal plants showed that the terpenoids, phlobatannins, reducing sugar, flavonoids and alkaloids were found to be present in afore mentioned medicinal plants. The phytochemical analysis of the plants is very important commercially and has great interest in pharmaceutical companies for the production of the new drugs for curing of various diseases. It is expected that the important phytochemical properties recognized by our study in the indigenous medicinal plants of Mardan will be very useful in the curing of various diseases of this region.