PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND GC-MS ANALYSIS OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF BOMBAX CEIBA BARK

Abstract

Preliminary screening of phytochemicals is a valuable step, in the detection of the bioactive principles present in medicinal plants and subsequently it will lead to drug discovery and development. The present effort has been intended to investigate the phytochemical constituents, quantify the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and to determine the possible bioactive components of methanolic bark extract of Bombax Ceiba using GC-MS analysis. Phytochemical screening of bark extract revealed the presence of around 30 compounds such as alkaloid, carbohydrates, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides and phenolic compounds. Amongst these it was found to contain the highest phenolic content and flavonoids content. The compounds were identified by comparing their retention time, peak area and by interpretation of mass spectra and matched with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) library. The Bombax ceiba shows it is an excellent source of phytocomponents, which are medicinal important to become a potential drug in future perspective. Isolation of individual components would however, help to find new drugs.