Phytochemical Estimation of the Biocrude of Pedilanthus tithymaloides- A Petrocrop with Pharmacognostic Properties

Researchers have taken an interest in finding crop species as alternative sources of nonconventional energy as fossil fuels or petroleum-derived fuels are quickly being reduced with the economic and political development and increasing use of automobiles. Hence, there is a scarcity of petroleum-derived fuels and industrial feedstock it has become essential to search for renewable sources of organic compounds. Solar energy is transformed into a by-product by green plants which are at par with synthetic petrochemicals. Pedilanthus tithymaloides L. Poit (Euphorbiaceae) has considerable potential as hydrocarbon yielding plant with its pharmacognostic properties also. Analysis of latex has revealed the presence of a large number of secondary metabolites. Extraction of bio crude was done in hexane using Soxhlet apparatus followed by column chromatography using solvents serially on the basis of their increasing polarity. The solvents used were hexane, benzene, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and chloroform in a sequence. Twenty-one fractions were collected from the extract and analysis of fractions was done using GLC. Fraction obtained in hexane: benzene (1:1) showed four major peaks at retention time 4.90, 5.10, 6.76 and 8.86 minutes at chart speed 1.0 cm/per minute. Fraction obtained in benzene and fraction obtained in benzene: ethyl acetate in the ratio of 1:1 and 1:3 showed various peaks. Major peaks obtained were at 2.98, 4.36, 5.71, 6.79, 8.76 and 9.11 minutes at chart speed.1.0 cm/min. in the fraction obtained in pure ethyl acetate. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plants revealed flavonoid, triterpenoids, sterols, alkaloids, saponins and anthraquinones in all the three varieties of Pedilanthus tithymaloides i.e. var. green, cuculatus and variegates.