Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical and Optimization Studies of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Terminalia catappa Linn. Dried Fruit

Abstract

The dried fruits of Terminalia catappa are well known for their virtuous medicinal value. The various phytoconstituents found in this plant are reported to have phytochemicals such as carbohydrates, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds. The present research work was performed to evaluate the pharmacognostic studies such as phytochemical standardization of the whole dried fruits of Terminalia catappa Linn. Morphological evaluation, moisture content determination, extractive values, ash values such as sulphated ash value, water-soluble ash, acid insoluble ash, total ash were determined. To ensure the safety of the constituents and plant, heavy metal analysis test was performed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Based on the above reports of extractive value, the hydroalcoholic solvent was quantified. The extraction was carried out using the Box Behnken design of optimization with 3 variables using the microwave-assisted method of extraction. Quantification of the optimized extracts was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on these findings, this species can be further explored in terms of pharmacological investigation and standardization for quality, purity and sample identification.