Pharmacognostic, Physicochemical and Phytochemical Characterization with Chromatographic Fingerprinting of Premna Serratifolia Root

Abstract

Premna serratifolia is a medicinal plant of the genus Premna with a documented history of traditional use and a chemically diverse phytochemical profile. The present study focused specifically on pharmacognostic standardization, physicochemical characterization, preliminary phytochemical screening and chromatographic fingerprinting of authenticated P. serratifolia root. Fresh, dried and powdered roots were evaluated for organoleptic characteristics, while anatomical examination, fluorescence analysis and physicochemical parameters were used to establish a quality profile. Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanolic and aqueous extracts were screened qualitatively for major phytochemical classes. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) were employed to compare solvent-dependent chemical profiles. The roots showed characteristic light- to dark-brown coloration, bitter taste, distinctive odour and hard texture. Loss on drying ranged from 4.2–4.7%, while total ash, water-soluble ash and acid-insoluble ash were within the limits reported in the study. Alcohol-soluble and water-soluble extractive values were 7.59–8.35% and 6.10–6.89%, respectively. Phytochemical screening demonstrated marked solvent-dependent distribution of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, triterpenoids, glycosides, saponins and starch. The ethanolic extract showed an intense alkaloid reaction and contained flavonoids and triterpenoids. HPTLC produced the most complex fingerprint for the alcoholic extract, with 11 detectable spots at 366 nm and 8 at 554 nm. The findings provide baseline pharmacognostic and chromatographic parameters that can support authentication, quality control and future standardization of P. serratifolia root preparations.