Abstract
Rauvolfia serpentina (L). Benth. ex Kurz. (Apocynaceae) occupies a prominent position in the ethno-therapeutics practiced in the Indian subcontinent. The plant is known to contain a number of bioactive secondary metabolites including indole alkaloids. The objective of our present study is to estimate the seasonal variation of stigmasterol content in the roots of the plant. Seasonal modulation in stigmasterol content in R. serpentina roots was analyzed by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) performed on Silica gel 60 F254 TLC plates with benzene-acetone 86:14 (v/v) as mobile phase. Densitometric analysis was carried out at λ=366 nm after derivatization with vanillin-10 % (v/v) sulphuric acid alcohol. In the root samples stigmasterol was present at Rf value of 0.44. Stigmasterol content was found to be the highest in roots harvested during summer and the lowest in winter and there was a gradual decrease from summer to winter through monsoon and autumn and from spring the hike was again found. Modulation in stigmasterol content during different seasons was noted which can be implicated to the popular notion of variation in secondary metabolites depending on temperature, ultraviolet radiation and other factors related to seasonal changes. Popular use of the plant in Indian ethnomedicine may be attributed to the presence of stigmasterol as one of the important constituents of the plant.
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