Volume10,Issue8

Diabetes mellitus is regarded as a noncurable but controllable disease. The disease necessitates constant reassessment of glycaemic control in people with diabetes and appropriate adjustment of therapeutic regimens. For several centuries medical practitioners have long been acknowledged the therapeutic properties of certain flowers. The medicinal properties of flowers are evaluated from the aspect of potential health benefits concerning mainly the influence of color, odour and flavour components in relation to antioxidant activity, and scavenging activity of reactive oxygen radicals. Though many flowers available in our surroundings have medicinal uses and are widely used in indigenous system, there is a scarce data about the medicinal uses of flowers. This review highlights therapeutic utility of medicinal flowers and enriches our knowledge regarding pharmacological aspects of the flowers used in managing diabetes.

Herbal medicinal plant Thunbergia laurifolia, was collected, powdered and extracted using methanol. The extract was used for studying the phytochemical compounds. Further HPTLC was performed on the extract using CAMAG HPTLC system to study the phytoconstituents. The CAMAG HPTLC system was equipped with Linomat 5 sample applicator, cabin with ultra violet light and winCATS Planar Chromatography software. The samples were analysed in the CAMAG HPTLC system at different ultra violet wavelengths- 254nm, 366nm and white light- 540nm. The results obtained showed different peaks and Rf values at 2.0 µl, 6.0 µl and 4.0 µl. The highest concentration of phytoconstituents recorded were 64.58% at 254nm, 27.06% at 366nm and 40.14% at 540 nm. The results of the HPTLC fingerprinting analysis of the methanolic leaf extract of Thunbergia laurifolia revealed the presence of 8 to 11 polyvalent phytoconstituents.