Phytoconstituents and Their Mode of Extractions: An Overview

Phytoconstituents are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants. Some are responsible for colour and other organoleptic properties. The term is generally refer to biologically significant chemicals, but not established as essential nutrients. Some Phytoconstituents with physiological properties may be elements rather than complex organic molecules. An assortment of different Phytoconstituents is scheduled in this review. A wide range of technologies is available for the extraction of active components and essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants. The choice depends on the economic feasibility and suitability of the process to the particular situation. The various processes of production of medicinal plant extracts and essential oils are reviewed in this paper. KEW WORDS Phytoconstituents, extraction, phenolics, alkaloids, Saponins, glycosides, terpenes, tannins, anthraquinones, steroids, essential oils, extraction techniques, medicinal plants. Received 01.03.2016 Accepted 21.03.2016 © 2016 AELS, INDIA INTRODUCTION Medicinal plants are the richest bio‐resource of drugs for traditional systems of medicine, modern medicines, nutraceuticals, food supplements, folk medicines, pharmaceutical intermediates and chemical entities for synthetic drugs. Aromatic plants are a source of fragrances, flavors, cosmeceuticals, health beverages and chemical terpenes. Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are traded as such in bulk from many developing countries for further value addition in developed countries. The first step in the value addition of MAP bio‐resources is the production of extracts using a variety of methods from simple traditional technologies to advanced extraction techniques. Extraction is the term used for the separation of medicinally significant portions of plant from the inactive components by using selective solvents in different standard extraction procedures. The solvents are selected carefully on the basis of the nature of phyto‐components present in the plant. Types of extraction procedures play a decisive role for the qualitative and quantitative composition of the extracts. The standardized extracts, thus obtained are further processed for inclusion in other dosage forms containing several groups of plant’s metabolites. These extracts are also utilized for isolation and characterization of therapeutically active chemical constituents used in modern medicines. Therefore, the extraction plays a vital role in order to isolate the chemical constituents in its original form. TYPES OF PHYTOCONSTITUENTS PHENOLICS Phenolics are plant metabolites widely spread throughout the plant kingdom. Recent interest in phenolic stems from their potential protective role, through ingestion of fruits and vegetables, against oxidative damage diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancers). Phenolic compounds are essential for the growth and reproduction of plants, and are produced as a response for defending injured plants against pathogens. Phenolic acid compounds are universally distributed in plants. They have been the subject of a great number of chemical, biological, agricultural, and medical studies. They form a varied group that includes the widely distributed hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Plant phenolic compounds are diverse in structure but are characterized by hydroxylated aromatic rings (e.g. flavan‐3‐ols). They are categorized as secondary metabolites. Many plant phenolic compounds are polymerised into larger molecules such as the proanthocyanidins and lignins. Furthermore, phenolic acids may occur in food plants as esters or glycosides conjugated with other natural compounds such as flavonoids, alcohols, hydroxyfatty acids, sterols, and glucosides [1]. Research Journal of Chemical and Environmental Sciences Res J. Chem. Environ. Sci. Vol 4 [2] April 2016: 08‐15 Online ISSN 2321‐1040 CODEN: RJCEA2 [USA] ©Academy for Environment and Life Sciences, INDIA Website: www.aelsindia.com/rjces.htm RJCES