Volume :
2
Issue :
1
Abstract :
TLC due to its simplicity, accuracy, cost effectiveness and rapidity, is often used as an alternative to other chromatographic techniques for quantifying plant products. Nymphaea stellata Willd. (Ns) of the family Nymphaeceae is an important and well-known medicinal plant in the Ayurvedic and Siddha systems. Complete phytochemical profile of Ns leaf is unavailable, hence comparative TLC was used to identify and quantify chemical constituents. The quantity of gallic acid, β-carotene, lupeol and β-sitosterol were found to be 0.094679, 0.01045, 0.013016 and 0.047703 %w/w respectively. Brine shrimp lethality assay is a very useful bench-top method for drug discovery process. Hence methanolic extract, 50% methanolic extract, aqueous extract were screened along with the first timed identified gallic acid, β-carotene, lupeol and β-sitosterol. β-carotene and β-sitosterol showed LC50 of 520 and 750 µg/ml respectively in brine shrimp lethality assay. As the polarity of the extracts increased the lethality also increased, suggesting the presence of polar toxic compound/s Ns leaf.