Pharmacognostical, preliminary phytochemical analysis, phenetics of Artabotrys hexapetalus (L.f) Bhandari leaves

Author

A.Krishnaveni, V. Nithya, M. Renuga , D. Merlin Ilavarasi

Abstract

 Introduction: Artabotrys hexapetalus (L.f.) Bhandari (Annonaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used in India and other Asian countries for the treatment of malaria, cholera, fungal infections, rheumatism and kidney disorders. The present study was undertaken to establish the pharmacognostical and phytochemical characteristics of the leaves of Artabotrys hexapetalus and to provide suitable parameters for its identification and quality evaluation.

Materials and methods: Fresh leaves of Artabotrys hexapetalus were collected from Ethappur village, Salem district in Tamil Nadu, India in the month of January 2026. The plant sample was authenticated by Dr. D. Stephen, Assistant Professor (retd), Department of Botany, American college, Madurai-625 020. Macroscopical, microscopical evaluation, powder microscopical, quantitative microscopical and histochemical studies were carried out. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were determined. Physicochemical parameters, fluorescence behaviour, phenetics, preliminary phytochemical screening and quantitative estimation of total phenolic, tannin and flavonoid contents were performed using standard methods. 

Results and discussion: Leaves were simple, alternate, lanceolate and glabrous, with an acuminate apex, cuneate base, entire margin and reticulate venation. Transverse sections showed a dorsiventral lamina with single-layered epidermis, uniseriate palisade and a single collateral vascular bundle in the midrib, while the petiole showed three collateral bundles with prismatic crystals. Powder microscopy revealed paracytic stomata, stone cells, fibres, vessels and prismatic crystals, with leaf constants including vein islet number 35, stomatal index 15 and palisade ratio 1–7. Loss on drying was 16.18%, total ash 12.19%, with lead absent. Extract yield was 23.34% w/w, showing alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and proteins. Total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents were 616.7 mg GAE/g, 550 mg QE/g and 520 mg TAE/g, with an LOD/LOQ of 18.15 & 55 µg/ml. Phenetic analysis gave a matching coefficient of 76% with related species.

Conclusion: The present study establishes reliable pharmacognostical and phytochemical standards for Artabotrys hexapetalus leaves. The macroscopic, microscopic and powder characters, together with the physicochemical parameters and absence of lead, serve as dependable markers for authentication of the drug. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of alkaloids, phenols, tannins and flavonoids, with the extract showing notable phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents. Phenetic analysis further revealed close similarity of A. hexapetalus with related species, thereby establishing useful reference standards for its identification and quality control.

Keywords

Annonaceae, Artabotrys hexapetalus, pharmacognostical, phenetics, phytochemical, qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytoconstituents.

Full Text:

Download Paper PDF

References

1.Kousalya.P, Doss. A review on Artabotrys hexapetalus (L.f.) Bhandari: Ethnomedicinal uses,
pharmacological properties and bioactive compounds. Journal of huazhong university of science and technology. 2021;50(7): 1-11.
2.Ranganathan R, Vijayalakshmi R, Parameswari P. Ethnomedicinal plants and their utilization by
villagers in Jawadhu hills of Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India. Inte J Pharm Res Dev
2012b; 4(4): 174–183.
3.Hout S, Chea A, Bun SS, Elias R, Gasquet M, Timon-David P, et al. Screening of selected indigenous plants of Cambodia for antiplasmodial activity. J Ethnopharmacol 2006; 107(1): 12–18.
4.Jayanthi CK. Phyto-pharmcognostic and experimental study of Artabotrys hexapetalus (Linn.f.)
Bhandari w.s.r to its antidiarrhoeal and anthelminthic effect. MD thesis, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences 2011.
5.Rajkumar MH, Rajanna MD. Ex-situ conservation of climbing plants at University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka. Recent Res Sci Technol 2011; 3(4): 18–20.
6.Karthik YP. Evaluation of antifertility activity of leaves of Artabotrys hexapetalus. MPharm thesis, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences 2010;1-11.
7.Savadi RV. Phytochemical investigations and antifertility properties of some medicinal plants. PhD thesis, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences 2009;1-11.
8.Zheng XL, Xing FW. Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants around Mt. Yinggeling, Hainan Island, China. J Ethnopharmacol 2009; 124(2): 197–210.
9.Hedberg I, Hedberg O, Madati PJ, Mshigeni KE, Mshiu EN, Samuelsson G. Inventory of plants used in traditional medicine in Tanzania. I. Plants of the families Acanthaceae, Cucurbitaceae. J
Ethnopharmacol 1982; 6(1): 29–60.
10.Chuakul W, Soonthornchareonnon N. Ethnomedical uses of Thai Annonaceous plant (1). Thai J
Phytopharm 2003; 10(1): 25–32.
11.K.M. Sowjanya, J. Swathi, K. Narendra, CH. Padmavathi, A. Krishna satya. Extraction and Antimicrobial potential of secondary plant metabolites from Artabotrys hexapetalus (Linn.f)
Bhandari. International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy. 2013;4(5):764-768.

12.Christian Bailly, Jean-Pierre Henichart. A Review Advocacy for the Medicinal Plant Artabotrys
hexapetalus (Yingzhao) and Antimalarial Yingzhaosu Endoperoxides. 2022;27 ,6192:1-17.
13.Rahini D and Anuradha R. In-vitro antioxidant activity of Artabotrys hexapetalus. Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences. 2014;5(2): 396-405.
14.Manjula M, Kumuda KV, Anitha S, Shashidhara S. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of various extracts of Artabotrys hexapetalus flowers. An International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2011;2(3):42-50.
15.Veena Rani I, Annapurna A, Ganapathi S. Evaluation of Hepatoprotective activity and Oxidative stress parameters of alcoholic extract of Artabotrys hexapetalus (l.f) Bhandari. Journal of Global Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2016;7(2):3192-3199.
16.Md. Akhlakur Rahman et al. Antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potentialities of leaves of Artabotrys hexapetalus, established by in silico analysis. Phytomedicine Plus 3. (2023);1-12.
17.Niaz Morshed, Md. Mizanur Rahman Moghal, Mohammad Nurul Amin. Investigation of in-vitro
anthelmintic and cytotoxic activities of Artabotrys hexapetalus (family: annonaceae) bark growing
in Bangladesh. Trends in Biotechnology Research. (2012);1(2):27-30.
18.Mohana Krishnan.P, Sandhiya.V, Shahina.A, Mahalakshmi.A, Vigneshwaran.L.V. Atrabotrys hexapetalus: Integrating Numerical taxonomy with Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological insights. International Journal of Research in Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics. 2025;14(3):608-618.
19.Bajaj Sakshi , Wakode Sharad. Standarization of Artabortrys hexapetalus. International Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research 2016; 8(3); 398-406.
20.Wallis TE. Analytical microscopy: its aims and methods in relation to foods, water, spices and drugs. 3rd ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company; 1965.
21.Khandelwal KR. Practical Pharmacognosy: Techniques and Experiments. 19th ed. Pune: Nirali Prakashan; 2008.
22.Kokoshi CJ and Kokoshi RJ, Sharma PJ. Fluoresence of powder vegetables drugs under UV radiation. J Am. Pharm.Assoc. 47,1958,715-717.
23.Anonymous, The Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia of India. Edn 1,vol. 2, Government of India, New Delhi,1986,pp.189-196.
24.Bentley and Driver’s Text book of pharmaceutical chemistry. Edn.8. L.M.Atherden, 1961:pp.174-176.
25.Indian Pharmacopoeia. 3rd ed. New Delhi: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Controller of Publications; 1985:245
26.J.B.Harbone. Phytochemical methods A guide to modern techniques of plant analysis. Edn 3,1998.
27.Seo, Ji-Hye, Jung-Eun Kim, Jung-Hyun Shim, Goo Yoon, Mi-Ae Bang, Chun-Sik Bae, Kyung-Jin Lee, Dae-Hun Park and Seung-Sik Cho, HPLC analysis, optimization of Extraction conditions and biological evaluation of Corylopsis coreana Uyeki Flos. Molecules.2016; 21(1): 94.
28.Singleton VL, Orthofer R, Lamuela-Raventos RM. Analysis of total Phenols and other oxidation substances and antioxidants by means of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Methods Enzymol.1999;299:152-178.
29.Boham BA, Kocipai-Abyazan R. Flavonoids and condensed tannins from leaves of Hawaiian Vaccinium vaticulatum and V.calycinum. Pac Sci.1994;48(4):458-63.
30.Ashwini Kumar and Baidyanath Kumar2016.Biosystematic Studies in Heliotropium indicum, Trichodesma indicum and T. zeylanicum of Boraginaceae. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci.5(4),2016,720

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons