Vol. 2, Issue 1 (2013)

Author(s):
Sudha Joshi( Shrestha), Kanti Shrestha, Devendra M. Bajracharya

Abstract:
Secondary metabolites in different species of Senecio L. collected from different localities of Nepal Himalaya were analysed. Secondary metabolites like volatile oil, fatty acid, coumarin, alkaloid, sterols and triterpene, emodins, polyphenol, reducing sugar, anthocyanosides, anthracenosides, flavon aglycones, tannin, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponin, terpenoid, steroides were screened in the aerial parts of Senecio alatus Wall. ex DC., Senecio chrysanthemoides DC., Senecio densiflorus Wall.ex DC., Senecio diversifolius Wall. ex DC., Senecio graciliflorus DC., Senecio rufinervis DC., Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham.ex D.Don., Senecio triligulatus Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don., Senesio vagans Wall. ex DC. and Senecio wallichii DC..The air dried plant material (powder) was extracted with 95% ethanol by soxhlet method. The aqueous slurry of the extract was subsequently fractioned with hexane, chloroform and butanol. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was carried out by using standard methods by their reactions with specific reagents. Out of the 18 secondary metabolites tested, 14 were detected from ten species of Senecio L. Alkaloid was detected from all the species. Among the species, S. diversifolius, S. graciliflorus and S. scandens were found to be rich in secondary metabolites while the S. wallichii was found to have less secondary metabolites. The result indicates the richness of secondary metabolites in Senecio species and thus could be potential source of useful compounds.