Comparative phytochemical screening of flowers of a few medicinal plants.

ABSTRACT

The flowers of a few medicinal plants such as Calotropis gigantea, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Cassia auriculata, Azadiracta indica, Catharanthus roseus and Nerium oleander were collected, air dried, pulverized and subjected to methanol extraction. Methanol extracts were screened phytochemically for its chemical components. This revealed the presence of steroids, reducing sugars, triterpenoids, sugars, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, catechins, saponins, tannins, anthroquinons and amino acids. This study provides some scientific bases for the use of theses flowers as a remedy for some infectious diseases in folkloric medicine. The phytochemicals observed could be attributed to the presence of some of the active compounds which will be used for the treatment of various diseases.