Bioactive Components in Senna Alata L. Roxb

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Senna alata is an ethnomedicinal plant. The crude extracts of the plants are said to have a large number of medicinal properties due to their phytochemicals. In the present study, we made an attempt to isolate and screen the phytochemical constituents present in the species. In order to determine the bioactive constituents present in S. alata, and the effect of drying on the loss of bioactive constituents, studies on a set of pharmacognostical parameters were conducted on seeds, shade and sun-dried leaves of S. alata as per US pharmacopeia and WHO guidelines. The results of the present studies showed the presence of various important bioactive molecules that are responsible for the medicinal properties of the species. The phytochemical analysis of seed extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, anthraquinones, resins and glycosides in all the extracts, while coumarins, phenols, terpenoids, phlobatannins and quinines are completely absent in all the seed extracts. Preliminary phytochemical investigations from shade and sun-dried leaf extracts showed alkaloids, flavonoids, anthraquinones, saponins, glycosides and tannins in high amounts in all the extracts, resins and phenols are present in moderate amounts. Terpenoids and phlobatannins are present only in fresh leaf extracts. Studies were also conducted on the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of leaves of S. alata that help in the identification and standardization of the leaf extracts for manufacturing of plant-based drugs of S. alata.