PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF ALCOHOLIC & AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF MENTHA LONGIFOLIA LINN. LEAVES
Preliminary phytochemical screening of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of leaves of M. longifolia was performed. M. longifolia locally called as Yen belonging to family Lamiaceae, is a tall perennial herb of length 1 to 1.5 m with hairy stout stem. Leaves 4.7 cm long ovate and lanceolate. Flowers 0.4 cm to 0.8 cm in diameter having colour light and dark green or grey. The leaves of this plant are of having great medicinal value. The phytochemical screening results revealed that this plant contained many bioactive chemical constituents like alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, phenolics, saponins and terpenes but lack proteins and carbohydrate. It is hoped that phytochemical study of this plant will provide much need lead for further research and new drug development.