Pharmacognostical Studies and Isolation of an alkaloid from Barleria cristata Linn. roots

The present investigation was carried out to study the histological characters of the roots of the plant Barleria cristata Linn. Further the phytochemical studies on the methanolic extract of roots revealed the presence of alkaloids. Column chromatography of methanolic extract of Barleria cristata Linn. roots (MEBC) was carried out by using silica gel (60–120#) column chromatography. It was eluted by different solvents in their increasing order of polarity. Fraction No.11 was purified by fractional crystallization to yield 55mg of brown coloured amorphous powder of Compound-I which was characterized and confirmed as Ibogamine by TLC, melting point, Infrared Spectroscopy, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and Mass spectrometry. Ibogamine, an alkaloid was isolated from the roots of Barleria cristata Linn. roots.