Phytochemical screening of leafy vegetables of Chhattisgarh state

Traditional medicine has remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary health care system of resource for poor communities. Plants are reservoir of bioactive constituents which are used for treatment of various diseases The secondary metabolites like alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phlobatanin and cardiac glycosides have been reported for anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammantory and various other medicinal properties. The present study involves the screening of phytoconstituents of fourteen plant species, commonly used as vegitable in Chhattisgarh region. The plant species investigated were Chenopodium album L., Merremia emarginta (Burm. f.), Ipomoea aquatic Forssk., Amranthus viridis L., Moringa ptery-gosperma, Hibiscus sabdariffa L., Leucas cephalotes Spreng., Oxalis corniculata L., Portulaca oleracea L. Faya, Cordia myxa Roxb., Cicer arietinum L., Cassia tora L., Ipomoea batats L. (Lam), and Basella rubra L. The presence of tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phlobatanin and cardiac glycosides was observed in selected samples. Screening of phytochemicals is an important research for isolation and identification of novel bioactive compounds, beneficial for the cure of many diseases. The significance of selected plant species has been discussed in view of their role in ethno medicine.