IN VIVO AND IN VITRO QUALITATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF GREWIA SPECIES
Grewia asiatica Mast., G. damine Gaertn., and G. tenax (Forsk.) Fiori.are medicinally important plants from arid lands of Rajasthan which were screened for the natural products. Phytochemical screening of leaf, stem and callus of these three plants using conventional natural products identification tests indicated the presence of different phytoconstituents. All three plants showed almost resemblance for their chemical constitutions when extracted in seven different solvents. For the purpose of screening methanolic, ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of plants were found better suited for maximum metabolites viz. alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, phenols, coumarins, and resins. While chloroform fractions of plant parts were contain tannins, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, phenols and resins. Extracts in sterile distilled water were revealed the presence of tannins, anthraquinones, flavonoids and phenols. Stem parts of Grewia species found to be richer in metabolites than leaves and callus. Grewia asiatica and G. tenax were found to contain most of the screened metabolites in different solvents while saponins, coumarins and anthraquinone were absent in callus extracts of G. damine. The medicinal values of Grewia species may be attributed due to the presence of detected metabolites.