Phytochemical Analysis of Drimia Species

Indian squill, Drimia species is a very important and rare medicinal plant endemic to India, Africa and Mediterranean Regions. Drimia extract has an ancient tradition in folk medicine and in Ayurveda as anti-inflammatory, constipation, dysentery, rheumatic fever and nervous condition in children. It is also utilized as a source of natural cardiac steroid product in traditional remedial and veterinary medicine. The extract of the bulb of Drimia indica and Drimia wightii were collected by using alcoholic extraction. In this work, we present HPLC profile of two samples of D. indica and D. wightii relating to the presence of cardiac glycosides. Qualitative analysis of the phytochemical of ethanol extracts revealed presence of carbohydrates, phenols, tannins, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. Quantitative analysis showed that tannins were the major photochemical of samples.