Phytochemical screening of Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland and Tridax procumbens L

Thespesia populnea and Tridax procumbens are medicinally important plant species used to treat different diseases. The present work is aimed to screen these medicinal plants for phytochemical studies. Leaf powder of these plants were dissolved in different solvents and screened for secondary metabolites. Leaves of Thespesia populnea revealed that the presence of flavonoids, tannins, steroids, glycosides, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, anthocyanins, carbohydrates and proteins; and absence of reducing sugars, anthraquinons, leucoanthocyanins and emodins. Whereas the leaves of Tridax procumbens showed that the presence of flavonoids, tannins, steroids, phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates and proteins; and absence of glycosides, saponins, reducing sugars, anthocyanins, anthraquinons, leucoanthocyanins and emodins. Both the plants showed variation in synthesis of secondary metabolites. Thespesia accumulates more number of secondary metabolites than that of Tridax. Aqueous and methanol extracts are suitable for extraction of secondary metabolites than the alcohol, chloroform, petroleum ether, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and hexane solvents for both Thespesia and Tridax species. The findings of the present study will be helpful to the phytochemists and pharmacologists for identification of new active principles.