PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF BERBERIS ARISTATA, ACACIA CATECHU AND FICUS BENGHALENSISIMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANTS FOR PHOTOPROTECTION
The objective of our study is to investigate the phytochemicals present in the hydroalcoholic (80%) and aqueous bark extract of Acacia catechu, Aqueous & 30% ethanolic extracts of Ficus benghalensis and acetone and 70 % ethanolic extract of Berberis aristata. The plant parts were shade dried and subjected for extraction with different solvents. The plant powder was analysed for different physico-chemical parameters such as ash value and extraction values etc. The concentrated extracts were investigated for the presence of different secondary metabolites. Ash value was found to be 2%, 52%, 24% and Acid insoluble ash 1.5%, 49%, 17% for B. Aristata, A. Catechu and F. benghalensis respectively. While extraction values were 3.81%, 1.83%, 14.28%, 13.10%, 5.7% and 7.56% for DH1, DH2, KT1, KT2, FB1 and FB2 respectively. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, terpenoids. The plant material contains various bioactive components specially Alkaloids, tannins, phenols, flavonoids etc. which indicate that these extracts may be beneficial in treatment of damage caused by UV rays and act as photoprotectants.