PRELIMINARY SCREENING OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF SALT MARSH PLANTS FROM VEDARANYAM CANNAL OF TAMIL NADU

Anbarasi Gunasekar*, Bhuvaneshwari S., Tamilarasi G., Selvapriya A., Sowmia C., Kanimozhi M.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro phytochemical, antibacterial and antihaemolytic activities of aqueous and solvent extracts of leaves and shoot of two halophytic species of Sesuvium portulacastrum and Suaeda monoica collected from Vedaranyam cannal, Tamil Nadu, India. Phytochemical screening of the extracts of both halophytic species showed the presence of major classes of phytochemicals such as protein, tannin, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoid, carbohydrates, steroids and alkaloids. Leaf extracts of both species provide effective activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus and Serratia. This study reveals the efficacy of the anti haemolytic activity and it would definitely have wide scope in future. The findings of the present study will stimulate further research in the field of phytochemistry and clinical applications of Sesuvium portulacastrum and Suaeda monoica.

Keywords: halophytes, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Suaeda monoica, phytochemical screening, antimicrobial, antihaemolytic activity.