GC-MS Analysis of Biologically Active Compounds in  Indigofera viscosa  Lam.

E. Rajabudeen; A. Saravana Ganthi; M. Padma Sorna Subramanian; K. Natarajan

GC-MS Analysis of Biologically Active Compounds in Indigofera viscosa Lam.

E. Rajabudeen ¹, A. Saravana Ganthi ², M. Padma Sorna Subramanian ³, K. Natarajan ⁴

Affiliations
1 Dr. Zahir Husain College, Ilayankudi, T.N., India
2 Department of Botany, Rani Anna Govt. College for Women, Tirunelveli, T.N., India
3 Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden, C.C.R.S., Mettur Dam, T.N., India
4 Nnai Arts and Science College for Women, Karur, T.N., India

A medicinal herb can be viewed as a synthetic laboratory as it produces and contains a number of chemical compounds. Gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectroscopy (MS) can be used to study traditional medicines and characterize the compound of interest. Indigofera viscosa Lam. is herb distributed in hill slopes of southern peninsular India. The macerate of the crushed whole plant is used as rectal application, twice a week for one week, to stop diarrhea. Sterols, triterpenes, polar and other constituents in whole plant of Indigofera viscosa Lam. were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Over 23 compounds were identified. Sitosterol and stigmasterol were the most abundant of sterols identified in the sterol fraction.