A comparative physico-chemical, phytochemical and spectroscopic analysis of two medicinal plants belongs to Euphorbiaceae family: Acalypha indica L. and Euphorbia hirta L. growing in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Plants belong to Euphorbiaceae family, bearing enormous Medicinal potential due to the presence of various pharmacologically important secondary metabolites. Now a days, with the help of various tools and techniques like FTIR, GCMS researchers are engaged to systematically find out various biologically active phytoconstituents. The present study investigated Acalypha indica L. and Euphorbia hirta L. leaf to establish the fact. Physico-chemical parameters of the experimental plants have been investigated. The result shows that Acalypha indica possesses maximum values on Swelling index, volatile matter, ash contents, fixed carbon, higher heat value, hydrogen content, oxygen content, carbon content, hemicellulose content, lignin content and extractive values. In contrast, the percentage composition of bulk density, carbon content, and nitrogen content is higher in Euphorbia hirta. In the present investigation, the FTIR analysis reveals that Acalypha indica L. possessed different chemical classes like Sulfoxide, Alkene, Carbon Dioxide, Alkane, Alcohol etc., whereas FTIR analysis reveals the presence Alkene, Secondary Alcohol, Conjugated Alkene, Carbon Dioxide, Alkene, Alcohol in Euphorbia hirta L. The methanolic leaf extracts of two different plants have been screened through GC-MS, revealing many important bioactive phytoconstituents. Acalypha indica L. possesses Cyclotrisiloxane, Hexamethyl-, cis-2,4-dimethylamine, S, S-dioxide, 1- nonadecanamine, n, n-dimethyl-, tridecane, 2,2,4,10,12,12-hexamethyl-7-(3,5,5-trimethylsilyl)-, dodecane, 1-fluoro-, whereas, Euphorbia hirta L. possesses myo- inositol, 4-c-methyl-, z,z-6,28-heptatriactontadien-2-one, phytylpalmitate, hexasiloxane, 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11-dodecamethyl-, 4-tert-octylphenol, TMS derivative. Both these plants have chemical substances that have proven bioactivity in human welfare. The GC-MS of leaf methanolic extract reveals that the phytochemical cis-2,4-dimethylthiane, S, S-dioxide have Anticancer (stomach) activities, 1-nonadecanamine, N, N-dimethyl bears Antitumor (nasopharynx) activities, myo-inositol, 4-C- methyl bearing Myo-neuro-stimulant activities and Z, Z-6,28-heptatriactontadien-2-one having Increase zinc bioavailability activities. These activities of individual phytoconstituents have been proven through Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethno-botanical Databases: U.S. Department of Agriculture. This information might be helpful to the pharmacologists, chemists, etc., for future novel drug discovery.