EVALUATION OF PHYTOCHEMICAL POTENTIAL OF AVICENNIA MARINA BY HISTOCHEMISTRY

Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. is commonly known as the grey or white mangrove. It is a vital species within mangrove ecosystems, renowned for its ecological significance and potential medicinal applications. A. marina has been traditionally utilized in various cultures, it has been employed in Persian folk medicine for treating smallpox lesions. Scientific investigations of methanol extracts of A. marina demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and moderate activity against Human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Additionally, the plant exhibits anti-glycation properties, which are beneficial in managing diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Ecologically, A. marina plays a crucial role in coastal protection, sediment stabilization, and serving as a nursery for various marine species. For current research work, leaves of the Avicennia marina plant were collected from the Thane Creek area which is presently facing a high degree of pollution caused by domestic as well as industrial waste. Therefore detailed phytochemical and heavy metal detection had been carried out by histochemical study of leaves. The study revealed the presence of almost all phytochemicals and its storage site i.e. different leaf tissue. Safety to use leaf tissue as medicine was also ensured by absence of heavy metals. The presence of different secondary metabolites in the said plant indicates the high medicinal potential of leaves of the plant for prospective drug development.