Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical, Physio-Chemical and Acute Toxicity Studies on the Leaves of Manilkara zapota (l) Van Royen var.PKM1

Abstract

The present research work was extend out for the leaves of Manilkara zapota (L) Van Royen var. PKM1 to investigate the pharmacognostical characters, physiochemical constants, phytochemical studies for the presence of various secondary metabolites and its toxicity was screened using brine shrimp lethality assay. In pharmacognostical work, both macroscopical and microscopical characters were examined. Physiochemical constant like ash value, loss on drying and extractive values of successive solvents with increasing order of polarity were analysed. Preliminary phytochemical screening were conducted with various solvent extracts, exposes the presence of carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and phytosterols and wherein ethanolic extract of leaves indicates the presence of flavonoids. Further investigation on toxicity was carried out with the ethanolic extract of the leaves, showed 100% mortality in the range of 1500 ppm/ml compared to standard podophyllotoxin which showed lethality at 3ppm level. This work will aid future investigators in their pharmacological analysis of this particular species which is imbibed with medicinal values.