Minerals and Phytochemical Analysis of Bark of Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth

The Himalaya mountain Range is hub of medicinal plants. The Derris scandens (Roxb) Benth is a plant of fabaceae which has been used by indigenous people of Manipur, North-East India, for treatment of various purposes such as removal stones in kidney, loss of appetite, menstrual cycle in women, massage of body, solvent in laboratory, nourishment of child etc.It is commonly found in the forests of northern Oudh, in central and southern India, extending to Bengal, Assam, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Srilanka, Burma, southern China and North Australia (Duthie 1903????????1929) The plant usually grows in the mountainous region of Manipur. The elemental analysis and phytochemical screening of the bark of the plant was carried out. Inductively coupled plasma -mass spectrometry and FAAS determined the presence of the elements Na ( 0.6????g/ml), K (10.9????g/ml), Fe (1.156????g/ml), Mg (2.2156????g/ml), Ca (13.0????g/ml), As (less than 5 ng/ml), V (less than 2 ng/ml), Cr (7 ng/ml), Mn (167 ng/ml), Ni (6 ng/ml), Co (less than 2ng/ml), Cu (31ng/ml), and Pb (12ng/ml). Phytochemical screening of the bark extracts of water, chloroform and petroleum ether confirmed that water extract contain maximum phytochemicals viz. glycosides, saponin, alkaloid, terpenoid, steroid, phenol and tannin as compounds. The present finding will definitely helpful in the preparation of further pharmaceutical formulations.