Pharmacognostic and Phytochemical Characterization with Chromatographic Fingerprinting of Selected Unexplored Hepatoprotective Medicinal Plants

Background: Hepatic diseases represent a significant health issue on a global scale and the search of effective and safe hepatoprotective agents with botanical origins remains to be the focus of scholarly concern. Although they have been used traditionally and are known to exhibit hepatoprotective effects, a number of medicinal plants have not been investigated properly on pharmacognostic and phytochemical grounds. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to develop detailed pharmacognostic monographs, to develop physicochemical standards, to define phytochemical profiles, and to develop chromatographic fingerprints of five hepatoprotective medicinal species, including Leucas cephalotes (Roxb.). Spreng, Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (wild varieties), Spermacoce hispida L., Trianthema portulacastrum L., and Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult.--chosen on account of their medicinal capabilities. Methods: The macroscopic, microscopic and powder microscopy analyses were conducted as per the recommendations as laid down by the world health organization and the Indian pharmacopoeia. Quantitative determination was done on the physicochemical parameters which included the ash values, extractive values and the moisture content. Later successive extractions with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol and aqueous solvents were done. Primary phytochemical screening was performed by using conventional chemical analyses. Chromatographic fingerprinting was done using the thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) whereas the Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) was used to identify the functional groups. Results: The five species had recognizable macroscopic and microscopic features in line with the common taxonomic attributes. The determined physicochemical parameters were in the acceptable ranges according to the pharmacognostic guidelines. The phytochemical screening revealed a high concentration of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, glycosides, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins, and steroids. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) produced separate Rf values of individual taxon and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatograms produced four to six properly resolved peaks, which could be associated with phenolic and flavonoid chemical classes. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy supported the existence of typical functional groups that belong to these categories of phytoconstituents. Conclusion: The existing pharmacognostic monographs and chromatographic fingerprints offer complete pharmacognostic and chromatographic standardization information about these hitherto unknown hepatoprotective plants, hence acting as quality-control standards when developing herbal drugs.