Preliminary phytochemical screening and Pharmacogcostic studies of the common weeds, Mimosa pudica Linn., Chromolaena odorata Linn. and Tragia involucrata Linn. collected from Ganjam District, Odisha: A Comparative Study

The widespread use of herbal remedies in healthcare preparations, such as those described in ancient texts as ‘Ethnomedicines’, has been traced as the natural products with medicinal properties. Plants, as source bioactive medicinal principles, have continued to play a dominant role in the maintenance of human health since past decades. Keeping pace with the tribal folklore and wide spread use of botanicals in the locality, three plants namely, Mimosa pudica Linn., Chromolaena odorata Linn. and Tragia involucrata Linn. were selected and properly authenticated. The selected plant parts of the above plants were used for comparative studies on presence of various phyto-constituents by preliminary screening methods as well as macroscopic and microscopic features. The powdered drug examination was utilized as a diagnostic tool for the determination of pharmacognostic features including plant description and organoleptic evaluation. The preliminary phytochemical screening of M. pudica root extracts revealed presence of steroids and sterols, triterpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic substances. Under the same screening procedure, presence of carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, steroids and sterols, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic substances were identified with the leaf extracts of C. odorata and presence of steroids and sterols, triterpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and phenolic substances with the root extracts of T. involucrata. The powdered drug in various chemical reagents showed characteristic fluorescence at 365 nm of UV light which can play significant role as diagnostic tools in quality control of crude drugs. The monographic analysis of the plant materials was performed according to the Pharmacopeial standards.