GC-MS Analysis of the Methanol Extract of Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers

A medicinal herb can be viewed as a synthetic laboratory as it produces and contains a number of chemical compounds. Gas Chromatography (GC) and Mass Spectroscopy (MS) can be used to study Traditional Medicines and characterize the compound of interest. Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers.is herb distributed in hill slopes of southern peninsular India. The methanol extract possesses hepatoprotective activity. Whole plant used to treat leprosy, cancer, oedema, abscess, and skin diseases. Sterols, triterpenes, polar and other constituents in whole plant of Tephrosia villosa (L.) Pers. were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Over 23 compounds were identified. Sitosterol and stigmasterol were the most abundant of sterols identified in the sterol fraction.