Abstract

PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOLVENT EXTRACT OF THUIDIUM TAMARISCELLUM (C.MUELL.)BOSCH. & SANDE-LAC. A MOSS.

Greeshma G.M. and Murugan K.*

Abstract

Bryophytes are poikilohydric oldest terrestrial species. The emerging multiresistant pathogens proved to be serious threat to human health globally. Treatment with classical medicine is ineffective in most cases due to different resistant mechanisms hence the need for cheap, effective and natural herbal compounds is need of the hour. This study reported the phytochemical profiling of Thuidium tamariscellum a cosmopolitan moss species available along the hill ranges of Kerala. As an initial part of the study, a thorough qualitative analysis was attempted using various solvent extracts. It revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, triterpenoids, coumarins, tannins and phlobatannins. Further the major phytochemicals were quantified. Terpenoids represented in remarkable levels compared to other secondary metabolites. Further studies are warranted to fractionate, purify the lead molecule and to analyze its biological properties.

Keywords: Bryophytes, solvent extracts, terpenoids, medicinal.