PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND GC-MS ANALYSIS OF BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF THE HEXANE EXTRACT FROM ACANTHOSPERMUM HISPIDUM (whole plant)

Although Acanthospermum hispidum has long been considered as a competitive invasive weed of agricultural plantations, it has recently become a sought after raw material to manufacture syrups in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and fever. In the present study, the bioactive components of Acanthospermum hispidium entire plant have been accessed via GC-MS analysis. Six compounds from the hexane extract of the whole plant were identified. The most prevalent are glycerine (100.00%), 1-benzoypiperidine (40.26%) and erythritol (15.79%). Phytochemical screening investigation carried out using standard procedures showed the presence of Alkaloids, Steriods, Saponnins, Tannin, Flavonoids, Phenol, Terpenoids.