PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF ABUTILON INDICUM

Abstract

Abutilon indicum, dried and powdered aerial parts, was extracted with petroleum ether. The petroleum ether extract, Fraction A, was saponified. The unsaponifiable matter was found to contain n-alkane mixture (C₂₂–C₃₄, an alkanol fraction and β–sitosterol. The marc was extracted with alcohol 50 % and the extract fractionated into Fractions B, C and D. The residual plant material was extracted with water and the extract fractionated into Fractions E and F. In Fraction B, vanillic, p–coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic and fumaric acids, and in Fraction C, p–β–D–glucosyloxybenzoic acid and gluco-vanilloyl glucose were isolated and identified. In fractions D and F, fructose, galactose, glucose, leucine, histidine, threonine, serine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid were identified by co–chromatography. In Fraction E,' a mucilage, the acid hydrolysate showed galactose and galacturonic acid.