Proximate Analysis and Preliminary Phytochemical Standardization of Leaves of Two Malvaceous Plants

Plants from Malvaceae family are also known as a 'Mallow plants'. Two plants from this family have been selected for the present study viz. Abutilon indicum Linn. (Sweet) [AI] and Thespesia populnea Linn. (Soland) [TP]. The present study attempts to summarize the proximate analysis like Total ash, Extractive value, Foreign organic matter, Moisture content determination as well Preliminary phytochemical determination by some chemical tests of methanolic extracts of Abutilon indcium [MEAI] and Thespesia populnea [METP]. Standardization of plant extracts by different methods like Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and determination of functional group present in the crude powdered drug by Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy were carried out. Proximate composition of leaves showed that it contains total ash values of AI and TP (10 %w/w and 7 %w/w). Water soluble ash was found to be more (5 %w/w and 6.1 %w/w) than acid insoluble ash (1 %w/w and 0.64 %w/w). Flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, tannins, and phenolic compounds were present in the methanolic extract of the both plants. Presence of these phytochemicals were supported by Thin layer Chromatography. Total phenolic content of MEAI and METP was found to be 40.20 μg/mg and 59.88 μg/mg respectively. Total flavonoid content of MEAI and METP was found to be 7.86 μg/mg and 10.54 μg/mg respectively. HPTLC profile shows characteristic bands under UV 254 nm which helps to aid in identification of phytoconstituents, adulteration, and standardization of plant materials. IR spectrum shows presence of -OH, C=O groups with sharp peak and aromatic ring and alkanes with weak signals. So, evaluation of plant materials by these above mentioned parameters can be helpful for authentication, identification and quality plant products.