Investigation of Phytoconstituents Present in Methanolic Extract of Portulaca Lutea, Family- Portulacaceae.

Abstract

Pharmacological activities exerted by plants are due to presence of specific phytoconstituents. In the present study, whole aerial parts of Portulaca lutea, family- Portulacaceae was procured and subjected to soxhlation using the solvents constituting petroleum ether (40 - 60 oc), chloroform, methanol and purified water. Out of the four extracts, methanol extract contained major phyto-constituents including alkaloids,  flavonoids, triterpenoids. Methanol extract was subjected to isolation. Initial TLC and subsequent column chromatography and again confirmation by TLC showed four distinct fractions with profound Rf values. The isolated four fractions obtained from column chromatography were further subjected for characterization through GC-MS technique to know the chemical nature of the compounds. The isolated fraction-1showed presence of about 13 compounds including triterpenoids. The isolated fraction-2 showed presence 8 major compounds mostly triterpenoids. The isolated fraction-3 showed presence of 12 compounds mostly flavonoids. The isolated fraction-4 showed presence of 14 major compounds mostly alkaloids and higher fatty acids. Isolated fraction-1 & 3 which showed potent antidiabetic activities were characterized through FTIR. The FT-IR fingerprint spectra at 3360.20 to 3362.20 cm-1 bands showed presence of phytols, stigmasterol, inositol, tocopherols, cholesterol, octadecanamide,  Luteolin and docosenamide; at 2979.65 to 2834.99 cm-1 showed presence of neophytadiene, squalene, nonadecene and tetrapentacontane; at 1651.10 to 1104.41 cm-1 showed presence of cyclopentadione, octadecanoic acid and guanosine; and at 1019.17 to 1019.90 cm-1 showed presence of pyrrolidine etc. Fraction-1 contained triterpenoids and fraction-3 contained a good number of flavonoids (Sitostenone and Luteolin) which were having antidiabetic activities as well as antioxidant activities.