Phytochemical analysis of Andrographis paniculata whole plant powder

Andrographis paniculata whole plants were collected and authenticated for its family and species. Its moisture and dry matter content ranged from 57.90 to 59.02 and 40.98 to 42.10 per cent, receptively. A. paniculata whole plant powder was prepared from dried A. paniculata whole plants and the ethanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared from A. paniculata whole plant powder. The yield of ethanolic extract (10.92±0.11 per cent) was significantly (P≤ 0.01) higher than the yield of aqueous extract (8.13±0.11 per cent). The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of A. paniculata whole plant powder were screened for fourteen phytochemicals of which saponins, tannins, phlobatannins, hydrolysable tannins, phenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and glycosides were present in aqueous extract. Ethanolic extract also showed similar results with the exception of cardiac glycosides which were present and phlobatannins which were not detected.