Identification And Characterization Of Phenolic Compounds In Root Extract Of Two Ethnomedicinal Plants Curculigo Orchioides And Asparagus Racemosus

Since early ancient period human being are searching for new drugs with better therapeutic potentials. Traditional medicines are very important because it provide the right direction to the researcher to discover new plant based products against some specific problem and the knowledge has been passed through generation after generation. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.and Asparagus racemosus Willd. both plants have immune stimulatory properties and are widely used by traditional healers for the treatment of various diseases. The main aim of the present study is to identify the secondary metabolites found in methanolic root extracts of C orchioides and A. racemosus. Extraction was carried out through standard procedures and the analysis of plant extracts was carried out by using LC-ESI-MS/MS technique in positive and/or negative ionization mode. LC MS study tentatively identified 15 and 19 secondary metabolites from Curculigo orchioides and Asparagus racemosus respectively. Amongst these some were simple phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, quinic acid, p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid. Some others were phenolic acid esters such as chlorogenic acid, di caffeoylquinic acid, p-coumaroyl quinic acid and some flavonoids such as quercetin, rutin, kaempferol, catechin and apigenin were also tentatively identified. Two phenolics caffeic acid and caffeoyl hexoside were further confirmed by MS MS study. This study supports the ethnobotanical claims done by traditional healers of Purulia and Midnapore districts. Characterized phytochemicals were mainly phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Assured levels of phenolics along with other plant constituents in the studied plants supports the ethnobotanical claim done by traditional healers. Further research is needed on structural analysis and bioactivity assay of the identified compounds.