A STUDY OF PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS IN CARALLUMA QUADRANGULA

Objectives: Caralluma belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae, native to the Indian sub-continent have different medicinal properties and used in folk medicine as remedies to treat wide variety of diseases and health conditions. Objective of present study was to isolate, analyze and identify the phytochemicals composition from steam of Caralluma quadrangula. Methods: Extractions of the chemical components was carried out by different chromatographic techniques. The phytochemical characterizations were evaluated by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Results: The quantitative phytochemical analysis of this species exhibited the presence of three compounds, Glochidonol (5gm), Dihydroxy-14-pregn-5-en-20-one (9.8gm), Hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one (7.8gm) and Stigmasterol (5.7 mg). Hydroxystigmast-5en-7-one, report from Caralluma quadrangula stem as first time. Conclusion: The present study is strengthen for the discovery three pure chemical compounds from C. quadrangula.


INTRODUCTION
Thousands of years, medicinal plants have an important role during the world in treating and preventing a diversity of diseases. Caralluma is belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae, medically important genus widely studied for its stem and fruits. Caralluma classification to 200 genera and 2500 species 1 . Caralluma genus have about 200 species spread in Africa and Asia. The common of these species are native to the Indian sub-continent and Arabian peninsula 2 . Most species of Caralluma are edible and form part of the traditional medicine system in the word 3 . Usually used in folk medicine as remedies to treat wide variety of diseases and health conditions 4 . Also used to treat liver diseases, diabetes and hypertension. The Caralluma flowers are useful superficially for wounds and cuts, while the juice of the stem is given to sick people to speed convalescence of burns, itchy skin and sunburns 5, 6 . In the Indian state Andhra Pradesh, C. attenuata (Wight) is eaten raw as an antidiabetic agent, while the juice of the plant along with black pepper is recommended in the treatment of migraine 7 . The diverse applications of Caralluma plants in folk medicine have prompted the phytochemical and biological investigations of their constituents 8 . The key phytochemical ingredients in Caralluma are pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, bitter principles, triterpenes and saponins 9-12 .

MATERIALS AND METHODS
General experimental procedures:-All active constituent were purified by following standard procedures 13,14 and all chemicals used Analytical Reagent grade.

Test for alcohol
Dissolved little amount of crude extract was in 0.5 ml of dioxane. The solution was added to 0.5 ml of ceric ammonium nitrate reagent. Then one ml of dioxane was added and stunned. Yellow to red color formation gives an alcoholic hydroxyl group 17 .

Libermann-Burchard test
Acetic anhydride drops were added to the extract and boiled. Concentrated sulphuric acid was added to the above cooled solution. Presence of sterols gives a brown ring at joint of two layers and green color in upper layer 17 .

AUTHOR'S CONTRIBUTION
The manuscript was carried out, written, and approved in collaboration with all authors.