PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF Saraca asoca (Roxb.) WILDE BARK EXTRACTS
D. SHARMILA *
Department of Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
E. KOWSALYA
Department of Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
R. KAMALAMBIGESWARI
Department of Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Ashoka is India's oldest tree, widely known as an ashok briksh, it is recognized by botanists as Saraca asoca. (Roxb.) Wilde belongs to Caesalpinaceae family. In this study the phytochemicals present in the bark were investigated. Around 1000 gm of air-dried rough powder content from Saraca asoca bark was extracted for 36 hours with ethanol and trichloromethane in a Soxhlet extractor. The crude extract was obtained around 165 and 150 g from ethanol and chloroform respectively, resulting in an individual yield of 16.5 per cent and 15 per cent w/w for dried powder. The primary bark testing of Saraca asoca was evaluated for its phytochemical constituents illustrated the presence of phytosterols, sugars and flavonoids.
Keywords: Saraca asoca, phytochemicals; ashoka, therapeutic plants, natural products