Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The herbal medicines are the major remedy in traditional medicinal system and are being used in medicinal practice for thousands of years. These have made a great contribution in maintaining human health. The practice continues even today because of the biomedical benefits in many parts of the world. There is phenomenal increase in the demand for the herbal medicines especially for those which have been scientifically validated. The alarming rapid rate of species extension which we are currently witnessing due in part to habitat destruction, lends certain urgency to the quest for plant derived drugs. The main advantage of natural products as a source of lead compounds is the tremendous molecular diversity found in nature. Most of the species of Strobilanthes flower only in long intervals, such as between six and twelve years and in some, even at longer intervals like 35 years. One of the plant best known species S. Kunthianus (Kurinji), flowers once in twelve years. Interesting results of gregarious flowering of Strobilanthes increases bees and its vicinity during the flowering period. Immense quantities of honey become available and the rockbees in common hill visit the plant. In conclusion, the present work provides the pharmacognostical and phytochemical evaluation profiles to identify the plant. From the extracts by column chromatographic studies, eight compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant. The in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity studies of the extracts were established by using several standard methods. The in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were established for crude methanol extracts in different models. The antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties were established for crude methanol flower extract. Biochemical and histological evidences were used to prove the activities. Hence, the present study provides a proof for the strong chemotaxonomical relationship and similarity of the biological property with the other species of Strobilanthes. newline