Phytochemical Screening of Nymphaea nouchali Burm .f.

Abstract

Herbal medicine has its origin in ancient cultures. It involves the medicinal use of plants to treat diseases and enhance the general health and the wellbeing of people, since some herbs have potential ingredients and can interact with other pharmaceutical medications therefore should be taken with massive care. Consuming herbs may help to prevent and manage heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, reduce blood clots and many more.

Plants like N. nouchali are reported to treat menstruation problems, urinary disorders, infertility, diabetes, heart diseases, dysentery, indigestion. However, there is scarcity of information on its phytochemical profile. This has hindered the understanding on why it is used locally for diseases treatment yet knowing its constituents is possible for proper guidance on how to use it. The purpose of this research was to analyse the presence of secondary metabolites from N. nouchali plant. The plant parts (flowers and the leaves) were air dried and extracted with methanol. Phytochemical analysis was done using chemical reagent identification following standard procedures as described by (Alamzed et al. 2013), (Thusa & Mulmi, 2017), (Talukdar & Chaudhary, 2010), and (Harbone J.B, 1998).

The results showed the presence of Tannins, reducing sugars, alkaloids, steroids, saponins and absence of anthraquinones, coumarin in plant leaves.

It also showed the presence of Gallic tannins, reducing sugars, alkaloids, anthraquinones, steroids, flavonoids and absence of coumarin and saponins in flower extracts. N.nouchali leaves and flowers truly contain phytochemicals which build a ground to study more on the plant. The presence of these phytochemicals validates the use of the plant in traditional medicine.