Abstract
Objective: Plants contain various types of phytochemicals with different solvent as per solvation properties, depending on their polarity. The goal of this analysis is to compare the effects of different solvents on the phytochemical profile and the characterization of different volatile bioactive compounds of Nephrolepis exaltata, a typical fern belonging to pteridophyte species.
 Methods: For the screening of phytochemical, a sequential extraction was carried out using different solvent systems namely methanol (MeOH), chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, hexane, and ethyl acetate (EtAc). A varied range of phytochemicals was found in the extracts. The volatile components were analyzed using the hyphenated technique gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
 Results: All the extracts were found to be rich in alkaloids, whereas phenols and Phytosterols were extracted only in MeOH. The MeOH extract of the fern presented positive results for six phytochemical tests and the n-Hexane (nH) extract presented positive results for seven phytochemical tests. The present investigation on the plant N. exaltata aimed to prove that pteridophytes should have various kinds of bioactive phytochemicals and the selection of solvent for extraction of phytochemicals should be based on the target compounds.
 Conclusion: From the % yield of different extract, it can be concluded that some the bioactive phytochemicals are more soluble in more polar solvents such as MeOH, some are soluble in moderate solvents like EtAc and mostly non-polar organic molecules can be extracted using non-polar solvents like nH. The GC-MS characterization indicates the presence of different fatty compounds and sterols in the plant extract.
Highlights
Plants are of great significance to the welfare of humans and communities
This study provides a guide to the extraction, phytochemical screening, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) characterization of the N. exaltata stem as well as leave portion
The significant biological components presented in our selected plants were documented by comparative phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis
Summary
Plants are of great significance to the welfare of humans and communities. Natural products including plant extract which might be pure or taken as a standardized extract provide endless possibilities for new drug discoveries due to the unparalleled abundance of chemical variety. Due to the heterogeneous nature of plants; standardization of natural products is a complicated activity [2]. The uses of Nephrolepis (A typical genus of Pteridophytes) are not well understood by most antiquated people, as they are not available as flowering plants; that is why, except for a few reports, there is no information available on medically relevant literature. Nephrolepis exaltata was reported to have bioactive constituents which can be used against women’s sterility for a month and is used in the treatment of menstrual disorders and Birth-aid in parturition [4]
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