Janakiraman N and Johnson M
Tree ferns belonging to the family Cyatheaceae are well known for their beautiful huge foliage throughout the world. It is the second largest living fern group among the pteridophytes. It comprises about 500 species classified into four genera viz., Cyathea, Alsophila, Cnemidaria and Sphaeropteris. Among these, 200 species are neotropical, the majority belonging to the genus Cyathea. Tree ferns always attract researchers and botanists because of their notable morphology, wide geographical distribution and local endemism. In the present study, phytochemical profile on various extracts of selected Cyathea species were analyzed using qualitative chemical tests. Preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed in five extracts of C. nilgirensis, C. gigantea and C. crinita to detect the metabolites presence or absence. All the tested three plant species showed significant indication of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, saponins and alkaloids. The results paved a way to find the chemical constituents of the studied Cyathea species which may lead to quantitative estimation and also in locating the source of bioactive principles for various pharmacological properties.
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