Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical profiling of ethnomedicinal folklore plant- Globimetula oreophila

Globimetula oreophila is a hemiparasitic plant commonly called mistletoe, found growing on several dicotyledonous trees using them as a host for its root-like structure called haustoria. Globimetula oreophila has been used to cure a variety of ailments, including diarrhea, stomachache, headache, and fever. As a treatment for these ailments, the leaves and stem are boiled and the resulting decoction is drunk. The phytochemical compositions have not yet been scientifically confirmed despite their potential for medicinal use. The present study is aimed at investigating the leaves of G. oreophila fraction for phytochemicals, by qualitative and quantitative analysis. It was observed that from the qualitative screening, different fractions confirmed the presence of carbohydrates, saponins, cardiac glycoside, tannins, flavonoids, steroid/triterpene, and alkaloids. Anthraquinones were not observed in any of the fraction of G. oreophila plant. Further, the study of the quantitative findings revealed that the butanol fraction had more secondary metabolites when compared with other fractions and the crude extract. Higher flavonoid content was found in the butanol fraction as compared to crude ethanol extract (CEE) while phenols were found to be higher in crude ethanol extract as compared to the butanol fraction. There were significant differences in the total phytochemical contents of each fraction. The results also show that the analyzed plant is a beneficial source of secondary metabolites and may have contributed to the therapeutic use of the plant in traditional medicine for the management of diseases.