Pharmacological Studies on Dregea Volubilis and Derris Trifoliate – The Medicinal Plants

: The present work aims to study the pharmacological studies such as physico-chemical and phytochemical screening on Dregea volubilis and Derris trifoliate . The samples were collected, washed, dried in hot air oven and were grinded to form fine powder. Both the powders were subjected to various physic-chemical tests such as ash value, water soluble ash, acid insoluble ash and loss on drying. Solvent optimization was carried out and it was found that water and organic solvent Methanol showed best extractive values. Further Methanolic extract was subjected to phytochemical screening which showed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloid, flavonoids, tannins and phenols were present in both the plants. Saponins were only present in Dregea volubilis plant powder.


INTRODUCTION
In modern medicine also, plants occupy a very significant place as raw material for some important drugs although synthetic drugs and antibiotics have brought about a revolution in controlling different diseases. [1] Plants used for traditional medicine contain a wide range of substances that can be used to treat chronic as well as infectious diseases. [2] The chemical compounds synthesized by plants as secondary metabolites commonly called as phytochemicals are of great interest in newer drug designing. Several of these plant derived compounds have different biological and other medicinal properties and are of increasing interest in therapeutic as well as other industrial applications. [3] The chemical constituents of the medicinal plants, particularly the secondary metabolites have pronounced pharmacological actions on animal systems and organs. Several bioactive compounds were isolated from the plant sources such as digoxin, digitoxin, morphine, reserpine, taxol, vinblastine, quercetin [2] Derris trifiliata (DT) of the family Fabaceae, alternatively Leguminosae is probably the only common climber that grows in mangroves, especially in Sundarban (mangrove forest) of India and Bangladesh. It is a perennial climber, or a much branched climbing evergreen shrub, reaching a length of 8 meters or less. [5] Wattakaka volubilis (L.f.) Stapf., (Syn. Dregea volubilis (L.f.) Benth. ex Hook.f., Marsdenia volubilis Cooke) belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae, is a tall woody climber, with densely lenticellate and pustular branches, leaves opposite, broadly ovate or suborbicular, cordate, acuminate, flowers bright yellowish-green, in lateral drooping, umbellate, cymes, follicle usually 2, lanceolate covered with brown, mealy, tomentum, turgid, c. 2cm long; seeds yellowish brown broadly ovate or broad elliptic, winged, comose. [6] Herbal medicines play an important role in the health-care system to alleviate and treat diseases. There is a great demand for medicinal plants in the herbal industry due to its health beneficiary properties with multi-dimensional chemical structures. Standardization of the medicinal plants is essential to confirm the authenticity and quality to avoid deliberate adulteration and substitution [7]

MATERIALS AND METHODS Physcio-chemical analysis
The whole plant materials were collected from Nallasopara region, Palghar district, Maharashtra. The plant was washed and dried in hot air oven at 40 0 C. The plant was crushed and sieved using 0.25 micro mesh sizes and stored in air tight container. The plant was subjected to physic-chemical analysis in accordance with the Practical Pharmacognosy book by Khandelwal K.R. The following various physico-chemical parameters were analysed Determination of total ash value Weigh about 2-4g of powdered plant into dish/crucible. Heat using burner until vapours almost cease to evolved, cool in a desiccator and weigh the ash and calculate the percentage of total ash with reference to the air dried samples of the plant.

Determination of Water soluble Ash
To the crucible containing the total ash, added 25ml of water and boiled for 5min. collect the insoluble matter in a sintered glass crucible or on an ash less filter paper. Washed with hot water and ignited in a crucible for 15 min. at a temperature not exceeding 45 0 C. Calculate the content of water-soluble ash in mg per g of dried-material by subtracting the weight of this residue in mg from the weight of total ash.

Determination of Acid insoluble Ash
To the crucible containing the total ash, added 25ml of hydrochloric acid, covered with a watch glass and boiled gently for 5 min. rinsed the watch glass with 5ml of hot water and added this liquid to the crucible. Collect the insoluble matter on an ash less filter paper and washed with hot water until the filtrate is neutral. Transfer the filter-paper containing the insoluble to the original crucible, dried on a hot-plate and ignited. Allowed the residue to cool in a suitable desiccator for 30 min., and then weighed without delay. Calculated the content of acid-insoluble ash in mg per g air dried material.

Determination of Loss on Drying
The loss on drying test is used to measure the amount of water and volatile matters in samples, when the samples are dried under specific conditions. An empty crucible that has been dried under the same conditions was employed in the determination of loss on drying. The plant material was transferred to the empty crucible the quantity of the samples specified in the related monograph, covered it and accurately weighed the bottle and the contents. Distributed the samples as evenly as practicable by gentle sidewise shaking to a depth not exceeding 10mm. Placed the loaded bottle in the drying chamber (oven or desiccator) as directed in the monograph, removed the stopper and left it also in the chamber. The samples were dried to constant weight or for the specified time.
After drying was completed, the crucible was allowed to cool at room temperature in a desiccator before weighing. Weigh the crucible and the contents.

Optimisation of extractive values
1g of plant powder was subjected to 10ml of water, Methanol, Acetonitrile, n-Hexane, Toluene and Chloroform, vortex and keep on shaker for 24hrs, filter using whatmann filter paper no 41. Transfer the filtrate to pre weighed crucible, evaporate the solvent and take the weight.

Phytochemical Screening
Qualitative analysis of phytochemical like carbohydrates, alkaloids, Tannins, Phenols, saponins and flavonoids were done with Methanol as an extracting solvent using practical Pharmacognosy by Khandelwal K.R.

RESULTS
The results of physic-chemicals values of whole plant powder of Dregea volubilis and Derris trifoliate were as follows:

DISCUSSION
The plants are a very important source of phytochemicals. These phytochemicals changes with the change in environmental conditions. Hence standardization of plants is important factor in the study of plants. The present study aims to standardize such methods. Pharmacological studies were carried out on both the plants. Both the powder were subjected to physico-chemical parameters such total ash value, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash and loss on drying and it was found to be 14.23%, 1.55%, O.6% and 0.08% respectively for Dregea volublis and 5.08%, 1.03%, 5.7% and 0.08% respectively for Derris trifoliate. Further both the powders were subjected for solvent optimization. Water, Methanol, Toluene, nHexane, Chloroform, Acetonitrile were used for extraction. Water showed the highest extractive value of 9.3% and 7.9% for Dregea volubilis and derris trifoliate respectively. Methanol also showed highest extractive value amongst the other organic solvent. Methanolic extract of both the powders were subjected to phytochemical screening which showed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloid, phenol, tannins and flavonoids in both the plants. Saponins were present only in Dregea volubilis. Hence pharmacological studies were successfully carried on both the plants.