Ease of Phytochemical Extraction and Analysis from Plants?

Abstract

Plants are vital and sustainable resources for our world. From the ancient times, they are not only supplier of oxygen but also the important part of the food pyramid. Besides, they are sources of thousands of bioactive phytochemicals. With emerging technologies, human being can made synthetic drugs based on phytochemicals to improve their life quality. However, nowadays, Humans have started the search again for natural sources because of emerging new diseases and side effects of drugs. Although lots of chemicals identified and purified from plant materials, it is obvious that there is still more phytochemicals than we discovered especially for foods. Determining full potential nutraceutical value of foods may lead classical breeding or biotechnological studies to more promising area. In concordance, aim of this review is to briefly indicate the bottleneck of analysis of plant phytochemicals by pointing the critical parts of the whole analysis process.

Qualitative tests for preliminary phytochemical screening: An overview

“…Although, these compounds seem to be non-essential to the plant producing them, they play a vital role in survival by mediation of ecological interactions with competitors, protect them from diseases, pollution, stress, UV rays and also contribute for colour, aroma and flavour with respect to the plant. The metabolites produced by the plants to protect themselves against biotic and abiotic stresses have turned into medicines that people can use to treat various diseases [5,6] . Phytochemicals can be separated from the plant material by various extraction techniques.…”

“…and extraction-related factors (extraction method adopted, solvent chosen, solvent to sample ratio, pH and temperature of the solvent, and length of extraction) [10,12] . Previously, the plant parts were directly used as such for the treatment, but now-a-days, the active principles are identified and isolated in pure form and also synthetically produced with the help of advance techniques [6] . In the development of new synthetic drugs, the chemical structures derived from these phytoconstituents can be utilized as models [7] .…”

Infusion or Decoction Extracts of Helianthus annuus Leaves: Potential Inhibitors for QS system and Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

“…Various parts of plants have been used for treatment by direct consumption, boiling (decoction), adding to boiled water (infusion) or as a poultice (19,20). Our knowledge of herbal medicine depends on the trial and error experiments that have been passed on from generation to generation and information about differences in the ways of preparation of herbal medicines (21)(22)(23). The widespread use of plant extracts in the treatment of diseases depends on the active compounds they contain.…”