Standardization and Thin-Layer Chromatographic Profiling of Powdered Leaves and Flowers of Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae)
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Date
2023-12
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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin
Abstract
Introduction: Chromolaena odorata (CO) represent an important medicinal plant in the tropics. The
correlation between its phytoconstituents and elemental components in the leaf and flower is desirable for
its authentication and identification.
Aim: The study was carried out to document the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, elemental
analysis and thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) profiles of crude powdered leaves and flowers of CO.
Method: The thin Layer Chromatographic (TLC) profiling. The microscopic study of the dried powder of
the leaves and flowers was conducted using a compound light microscope attached to a digital camera. The
elemental (mineral) analysis was done using the atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.
Result: The powdered leaf microscopy showed sessile glandular trichomes as well as multicellular and
uniserate covering trichomes. Diagnostic characters of the flower showed presence of abundant bi and
mutlticellular trichomes, pollen grains in pollen sac and other cellular characters. The TLC profiling of
these two organs showed that the Retention factor (Rf) values for both the leaves and the flowers were very
close while the analysis of elemental components in both samples were found to be similar with the amount
of calcium, copper and manganese significantly higher in the leaf than in the flower.
Conclusion: Chromolaena odorata has been demonstrated in this study to be a rich source of beneficial
trace elements and secondary metabolites. This study has documented some pharmacognostic standards for
the powdered leaves and flowers of CO which could be helpful in the proper identification and utilization
of the plant.
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