Phytochemical Analysis and Thin Layer Chromatography Profiling of Crude Extracts From Senna Occidentalis(leaves) - Phytochemical Analysis and Thin Layer Chromatography Profiling of Crude Extracts From Senna Occidentalis(leaves) - Open Access Pub

Plants used for medicinal practices which were discovered since prehistoric stone ages are termed Medicinal plants, which are also referred to as medicinal herbs, since plants produces bioactive chemical compounds (phytochemicals), this research however, is concerned with the extraction using Soxhlet extraction technique, phytochemical screening using various test methods, which reveals the presence of anthraquinones (free anthraquinones and combined anthraquinones), carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, steroids/ terpenes, phenolic compounds and tannins, and absence of alkaloids for extracts of senna occidentalis and also, thin layer chromatography profiling which gives probable foundation for further structural elucidation amongst others. This research shows the presence of potent secondary metabolites present in the leaves of senna occidentalis (leaves). DOI10.14302/issn.2576-6694.jbbs-19-2791 A medicinal plant is any plant material be it seeds, root extracts or leaves extract that is used to cure or fight against infection or attempt to maintain health, which are to be administered for specific ailments which can either be in modern or traditional medicine, this definition of medicinal plant is also supported by Ahn, 1, 2. There are about 50,000 medicinal plants used across the world 3.It is documented by Kew (2016) that there are conservatively about 18,000 plant species that are use either in modern or traditional ways which are conceived to have medicinal properties which are part of the about 30,000 species documented. Medicinal plants provide various kinds of benefit which could either be economic, health or socio-cultural benefits as suggested by Schippmann et al., 3. However, development of plants or extracts and available expertise to prove that they have potential medicinal uses is blunted and weakened, upon which insufficient financing is a key player,1. Drug development researchers adopts ethno botany as a strategy to search for pharmacologically active substances in naturally occurring plants, using these strategies, they have discovered hundreds and thousands of useful compounds which can either be alkaloids, glycosides, polyphenols, or terpenes. Some of the drugs extracted from plants include aspirin, quinine, opium, etc. Bioactive Chemical Compounds (Phytochemicals) All plants produce chemical compounds which give them an evolutionary advantage, such as defense against herbivores or, in the example of salicylic acid, as a hormone in plant defenses, 4, 5. These phytochemicals have potential uses as drugs,