Table 4.
Phytochemical screening tests.
| Plant Constituents | Extract | Reagent | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reducing sugar | 0.5 mL | 1 mL water + 5–8 drops of Fehlings | Brick-red precipitate |
| Anthraquinones | 1 mL | 1 mL HCL (10%) + boil | Precipitate |
| Proteins and amino acids | 1 mL | 1 mL ninhydrin (0.25%) + boil | Blue color |
| Phlabotannins | 1 mL | 1 mL HCL (1%) + boil (5 min) + cooling | Red precipitate |
| Alkaloids | 1 mL | 5 drops of Dragendorff | Reddish orange precipitate/reddish brown or turbid |
| Tannins | 1 mL | Ferric chloride FeCl3 (1%) | Blue color |
| Resins | 1 mL | Acetone + small amount of water + agitation | Turbidity |
| Terpenoids | 1 mL | 2 mL chloroform + 3 mL concentrated sulfuric acid | Reddish brown color in the surface |
| Flavonoids | 1 mL | 5 mL potassium hydroxide KOH (50%) | Yellow color |
| Quinones | 1 mL | HCL concentrated | Precipitate or yellow color |
| Sterols and Steroids | 1 mL | 2 mL chloroform + concentrated sulfuric acid | Red color of the upper layer + greenish yellow fluorescence in the acid layer |
| Diterpenes | 1 mL dissolved in water | Few drops of copper sulphate | Green color |
| Anthocyanins | 1 mL | 1 mL NaOH (10%) | Blue color |
| Flavanones | 1 mL | 1 mL concentrated sulfuric acid | Purple red color |
| Lignines | 2 mL | Safranine | Pink color |
| Cardiac glycosides | 2 mL | 1 mL acetic acid glacial + 1 drop ferric chloride FeCl3 (5%) + 1 mL concentrated sulfuric acid |
Purple ring + brown ring + green ring |
| Saponins | 2 mL | Vigorous shaking (5 min on Vortex) | Layer of foam |
| Phenols | 5 mL | 1 mL FeCl3 (1%) + 1 mL K3(Fe(CN)6) (1%) | Greenish blue color |
| Fixed oils and Fatty acids | Small amount of extract | On filter paper | Oil spot |