Phytochemical screening of three traditional medicinal plants: Taraxacum officinale, Geranium wallichianum, and Elaeagnus parvifolia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the phytochemical analysis of traditional medicinal plants : Taraxacum officinale, Geranium wallichianum, and Elaeagnus parvifolia. Phytochemical screening of plants is an essential step in discovering bioactive components of medicinal plants, which might contribute to the formulation of novel medicines and improve the medications. The presence of important bioactive components in these three traditional medicinal plants commonly used in Asia has been identified to correlate with their ethnomedicinal importance. These plants include Taraxacum officinale , Geranium wallichianum , and Elaeagnus parvifolia . We used standard techniques to reveal the existence of secondary metabolites that include tannins, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, sterols, cardiac glycosides, and alkaloids. All the three species of plants showed different results. Tannins and saponins were mostly present in Taraxacum officinale . Geranium wallichianum contains most of terpenoids. Phytosterol, glycosides and carbohydrates were found in Taraxacum officinale and Geranium wallichianum. Alkaloids, saponins and flavonoids are present in all the three species therefore all of these plants have antioxidants properties and are of great medicinal use as well.