Chromatographic Analysis of Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) Druce Leaf Extract: A Traditional Herbal Drug of North-East India

The North-Eastern region of India is hotspot of many medicinal herbs. Blumea lanceolaria from family Asteraceae is a traditional medicinal herb of North East India. The present study was aimed to screen the phyto-chemical constituents and identify bioactive compounds in crude extracts of B. lanceolaria using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The extracts were obtained by Soxhlet extraction in three solvents (methanol, n-hexane, and chloroform). The identification and characterization of bioactive compounds in the extracts was performed using GC-MS. Qualitative phytochemical screening was done for the presence of flavonoids, phenols, phytosterols, tannins and alkaloids. The study showed that the phytochemicals were higher in methanolic extract than chloroform- and n-hexane-extracts. In GC-MS analysis a total of five compounds were detected in each sample. Chloroacetic acid, tetradecyl ester was found in methanol (18.15%) as well as in n-hexane extracts (18.83%) in diverse quantities. Likewise, compounds including 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol and Z,z-6,28-heptatriactontadien-2-one were found in methanol and chloroform extracts. 1-Heptacosanol was identified in both n-hexane and chloroform extracts. The study reveals that crude extracts of B. lanceolaria is a potential source of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, so may be used in traditional medicines.