Pharmacognosy, preliminary phytochemical and pharmacological study of spermacoce hispida.L

Abstract

Spermacoce hispida L., known as "bukah" and "vasukha" in Ayurveda, is a medicinal plant that is used in traditional medicine. It is a plant that is commonly misidentified with other species of the same genus. In the southern part of India, it is used in folklore medicine for reducing body weight. This traditional knowledge is validated in the current study, which includes pharmacological standardisation of the plant, preliminary phytochemical detection, and related pharmacological studies for analysing the effect of S. hispida Kashaya on whole body fat in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Macroscopic investigations point out specific morphological traits that set it apart from other Spermacoce species. Microscopic studies reveal the presence of trichomes, plano-convex-shaped leaves, quadrangular stems, round roots, and calcium oxalate crystals in transverse sections. Histochemical analyses of the stem and root show the presence of polyphenols. Preliminary Phytochemical detection tests, including high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), demonstrate the presence of various classes of compounds, notably polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and glycosides, in successive Soxhlet extractions of S. hispida using different solvents. In the Drosophila model, Kashaya of S. hispida did not show a substantial reduction in whole body fat in flies fed on a high fructose diet. The study emphasises the need for further investigations to explore its potential therapeutic benefits.