Variation in bioactive principles of Artemisia amygdalina Decne. in wild and tissue culture regenerants

Wild and tissue culture raised regenerants of Artemisia amygdalina, a critically endangered and endemic plant of Kashmir and North West Frontier Provinces of Pakistan were screened for the amount of bioactive principles and in particular antimalarial compound artemesinin. Phytochemical screening of extracts revealed the presence of terpenes, alkaloids, phenolics, tannins [polyphenolics], cardiac glycosides and steroids in wild [aerial, inflorescence] and tissue culture regenerants [in vitro grown plant, callus and green house acclimatized plants]. HPLC of Artemisia amygdalina revealed the presence of artemesinin in petroleum ether extracts of wild aerial part, tissue culture raised plant and green house acclimatized plants. Acetonitrile and water in 70:30 ratios at flow rate of 1ml/min was standardised as mobile phase. Retention time for standard chromatogram was 6.7. Wild inflorescences and callus does not produce artemesinin. This is the first report of phytochemical screening and artemesinin estimation of wild and tissue culture raised regenerants of Artemisia amygdalina

Phytochemi cal screening of Prunella vulgaris L. - an important medicinal plant of Kashmir

Kashmiri medicinal plant [Prunella vulgaris] was analyzed for its chemical composition and amount of bioactive constituents. The results showed that the herb contains on an average alkaloid [1120 mg%], saponins [350 mg%], phenolics [55.785 mg%] and tannins [52.25 mg%]. The medicinal plant contained carbohydrates [375 mg%], proteins [441.6 mg%] and lipids [2403.8 mg%]. Role of these bioactive principles are discussed according to their folkloric use in Kashmir valley. Besides the herb is of great importance as far as its other clinical application are concerned. This quantitative estimation can be used for comparative evaluation of bioactive constituents with other populations of Prunella vulgaris present in different parts of the world and can be used for selection of superior quality of this herb to use in pharmaceutical industries