Qualitative phytochemical profiling and estimation of vasicine using high-performance thin layer chromatography in leaf extract of Justicia adhatoda L. from Thanjavur region of India

Abstract

Justicia adhatoda L. (Acanthaceae) is an important medicinal plant widely used in traditional systems of medicine for the management of respiratory and inflammatory disorders, primarily due to the presence of the bioactive alkaloid vasicine. The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile and quantify vasicine content in J. adhatoda leaves collected from the Thanjavur region of Tamil Nadu, India. Ethanolic extraction of the dried leaves yielded 5.83% and qualitative phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, proteins and glycosides. Vasicine was quantitatively estimated using a validated High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method, which showed excellent linearity (R² = 0.9962) over the range of 100-800 ng/spot. Vasicine was identified at an Rf value of 0.34 and quantified as 2.032% (w/w) on a dry weight basis. FTIR analysis further confirmed the presence of characteristic functional groups corresponding to vasicine. The study highlights the significance of regional evaluation for quality control and standardization of Vasaka based herbal formulations.