PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF SELECTED INDIGENOUS EDIBLE PLANTS FROM THE TOWNS OF ISABELA, PHILIPPINES

Present investigation conducted phytochemical screening of indigenous edible plants collected from the local markets of the six towns of Southern Isabela Philippines namely: Echague, San Isidro, Jones, San Agustin, Santiago and Cordon. Standard procedures of chemical screening were performed on the selected indigenous food plants scientifically known as: Diplazium esculentum, Amaranthus viridis Linn, Artocarpus altilis, Phaseolus ilocanus Blanco, Amorphophallus campanulatus Blume, Syzygium lineatum (DC.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme, Schizophyllum commune, Colocasia esculenta Lin, Momordica chinensis, Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels, Sesbania grandiflora (Linn.) Pers.), Cajanus cajan (Linn.) Mill, Phaseolus vulgaris and Psophocarpus tetragonolobus. Wide range of chemical classes was found in the fifteen plant extracts as revealed by the appearance of certain color or precipitate by the chemical tests applied in the phytochemical screening. Such extracts revealed dominantly the occurrence of saponins (10 plants); tannins and flavonoids (9 plants); phenolics and alkaloids (8 plants). Triterpenes (5 plants); glycosides and sterols (3 plants) were also detected. Anthraquinones, diterpenes and anthocyanins were found to be present in two plants for each metabolite. The current findings revealed the richness of the indigenous edible plants with different groups of active compounds that need to be studied for different applications to achieve nutritional security.