Abstract

EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA AND LEUCAS ASPERA – A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Dr. Namita Bhardwaj* and Manish Yadav

ABSTRACT

The chemicals produced by plants called Phytochemicals. However, the term is generally used to describe chemicals from plants that may enhance health status of organisms, but are not essential nutrients. Rauwolfia serpentina is a medicinally important herb. Its roots and leaves are rich in secondary metabolites and proteins Its medicinal properties is due to presence of alkaloids. This plant is mainly used as a source of reserpine, but now, more than 50 different alkaloids have been isolated from this plant which are used to treat hypertension, snake bite and breast cancer.[1] Leucas aspera, locally known as ‘Guma’ in Chattishgarh, is a medicinal herb, which has long been used in the Indian subcontinent as a folk medicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases like an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytotoxic, snake bite, anticancer etc.[2] Leucas Aspera and Rauwolphia Serpentina were studied to draw connections between their chemical properties and their use as in cancer treatment and treatments for snake bite by local people. Results of study shows that both plants have almost same chemical composition. High quantity of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and alkaloids were found on Rauwolfia serpentina and Leucas Aspera. The values of tannins were very trace on both plants.

Keywords: phytochemicals, metabolite, alkaloids, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anticancer, snake bite.