Morphological and Qualitative Phytochemical Comparison of Selected <em>Salacia</em> Species in Lowland Wet Zone of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Many medicinal plants in the world are in trouble from over harvesting and destruction of habitat. Population growth, urbanization and the unlimited collection from the wild are the causes for the over-exploitation of these natural resources. Therefore, the management of the traditional medicinal plant in Sri Lanka has become a matter of necessity too. The genus Salacia has great importance as it contains a high medicinal value that is mostly used in traditional medicine to cure diabetes. Scientific information and knowledge about them are scant and their current usage is limited relative to their economic potential. It is necessary to examine their morphology and chemical composition as they have received a less attention for conservation and management. In Sri Lanka, the genus Salacia is represented by five species and only Salacia chinensis, Salacia oblonga, and Salacia reticulata were considered in this study. A morphological study using the specimens collected from natural habitats was done. The selected Salacia species could be three different species in the same genus. Anatomical studies were carried out by obtaining stem cross-sections. It also revealed that there are differences in hypodermis of selected Salacia species too. Qualitative phytochemical screening by using the air-dried and powdered stems was carried out to identify the different chemical compounds in water. The study confirmed the presence of tannins, terpenoids, and saponin. TLC profiling of these species was carried out using methanol extracts and it showed different Rf values. Further, the generated results could be effectively utilized for the consistency of Salacia species for the improvement of the Sri Lankan pharmacopeia.