Komal Kulkarni, Akshay Gade and JD Barshile

Plants have historically been recognized as rich reservoirs of medicinal compounds. Lepidagathis sabui, a recently identified endemic species within the Acanthaceae family, was located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. The objective of the current study was to analyze the phytochemical composition and secondary metabolites present in the stem of L. sabui, utilizing both Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Stem extracts were obtained using solvent extraction methods with methanol, dichloromethane, and chloroform. Among these, the methanol extract demonstrated the highest concentrations of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. A preliminary screening of this extract indicated the presence of a wide array of bioactive constituents, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides, resins, coumarins, phytosterols, and carbohydrates. GC-MS analysis successfully identified 53 phytochemical compounds, with the predominant constituents being hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, n-hexadecanoic acid, linoleic acid ethyl ester, and 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester. FTIR analysis further corroborated the presence of various functional groups, including amines, alcohols, phenols, alkanes, aldehydes, and conjugated acids. The results indicate that L. sabui may possess noteworthy pharmacological potential, particularly in antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic contexts. It is recommended that further pharmacological and toxicological studies be conducted to thoroughly investigate its therapeutic capabilities.

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