PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF Costus spicatus LEAVES

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The healing effects of medicinal plants have been used to treat a number of human diseases for hundreds of years. Traditional herbal medicines are used by 60-90 percent of the population in developing countries, who consider them to be a part of primary healthcare (WHO, 2002). Consumer demand for herbal medicine is growing by the day, as these types of healing are seen as safer and more reliable than prescription drugs.

Plants that contain compounds that may be used for therapeutic purposes or are precursors to the synthesis of effective drugs are known as medicinal plants. They may be a source of raw materials for the development of pharmaceuticals. About a quarter of all medicines used around the world today contain natural compounds extracted from plants, whose activities are intensified by chemical manipulation and synthetic chemistry, all of which can be exploited in the field of new drug research and development. Plant-derived drugs have the advantage of being safer than synthetic substitutes while still providing significant clinical advantages and lower treatment costs.

Natural bioactive compounds present in plants are known as phyto-constituents. Phyto-constituents combine with nutrients and fibers to form an integrated part of nutrition that protects against a variety of diseases and stressors. Phytochemicals are compounds found in medicinal plants, leaves, vegetables, and roots that act as a protective mechanism against disease. According to their roles in plant metabolism, phytochemicals are classified into two categories: primary and secondary constituents. Alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and flavonoids are among the primary constituents, while secondary constituents include common carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and chlorophyll.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Many medicinal plants have yet to be discovered, grown, processed, and used in the development of new medicines. In relation to numerous research conducted on different species of the Genus, this plant, Costus spicatus, has shown great promise in possessing therapeutic values and nutritional significance. With an ever-increasing population and the proliferation of diseases (both new and old), as well as the “mutation” of disease-causing agents in order to respond to certain medicines used to treat them, medicinal plant research is more important than ever to avoid or regulate this phenomenon.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

To classify medicinally active compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds in Costus spicatus leaves plant extract.