Phytochemical characterization of root and rhizome of critically endangered medicinal plant crinum malabaricum lekhak and yadav

Crinum malabaricum Lekhak & Yadav is a critically endangered plant endemic to India (IUCN, 2017). It is an aquatic plant found in streams of Kannur and Kasargod districts of Kerala, India. The underground bulb of C.malabaricum is important source of alkaloid galanthamine. It is a selective, reversible, competitive inhibitor of acetylcholine esterase (Olin and Schneider,2002). In this study methanolic, ethyl acetate, chloroform extract of root and rhizome of the plant was studied phytochemically using chromatographic technique like High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS result of methanol extract of root showed presence of Hexadecanoic acid, Tetradecanoic acid,12-Methyl-Methyl ester, Ethyl aceate extract showed 1-Hexadecene, Tetratetracontane, Chloroform extract of root showed Heneicosane, Dotriacontane, Methanolic extract of rhizome showed presence of Octadecanoic acid, E-14-hexadecenal, Ethyl acetate extract of rhizome showed Eicosane, Chloroform extract of rhizome showed presence of Hexadecanal, Heptadecanoic acid.