Biochemical estimation of Artemesia absinthium L. powder and qualitative phytochemical screening of its hexanic and ethanolic extracts for assessment of purity

Medicinal plants have been used since times eons against a number of ailments. These natural sources of nutraceuticals are having incalculable benefits with negligible or no side-effects. Artemesia absinthium L. is an indispensable medicinal plant which plays a significant role in alleviating diseases owing to its antiinflammatory, antioxidative, antimicrobial and wound healing effects. This plant is a depot of large number of bioactive compounds that can find a potential role in drug formulations against various diseases. In the present study, analysis of important biochemical proximate principles for the presence of cell and cell wall constituents and phytochemical constituents of ethanolic and hexanic extract of A. absinthium for qualitative detection of carbohydrates, proteins, steroids, alkaloids, phytosterols, tannins, phenols, etc., using different methods. Proximate analysis of plant for crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), total ash and nitrogen free extract (E.E.) and components of cell wall like neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), cellulose, hemicellulose and mineral components like calcium and phosphorus determine the usefulness of the plant as an essential feed supplement. The phytochemical screening established certain phytoconstituents having well known pharmacological properties, hence assuring purity of these extracts. As per the available literature, this is first study where in all these nutrients have been evaluated in the A. absinthium of Kashmiri origin. This depicts the purity of the species that can help in using these extracts for further pharmacological experimentations at in vitro and in vivo levels, a preliminary step towards drug discovery.