Abstract

Trichosanthes cucumerina L. is an important medicinal plant belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae.  It is an annual climber. It contains wide range of medicinal properties like anti-diabetic, anthelmintic, anti-cardiac failure, hypoglycemic, anti-fertility, anti-inflammatory and against to HIV. Preliminary phytochemical investigations of leaves, stem, fruit wall and seed extracts have been carried out by using different solvents (methanol, petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform and aqueous) for the presence of various phytoconstituents.  Phytochemical analysis of various solvent extracts of leaf, stem, fruit wall and seed had shown the presence of alkaloids. Glycosides were found to be present strongly in only leaf extracts followed by feebly in seed extracts. Tannins were absent in all the solvent extracts of stem and seeds. Flavonoids were found only in leaf and stem. Sterols were absent in leaf, stem and fruit wall extracts. Whereas lignins were present in leaf extracts. Phenols were found in stem and fruit wall extracts. Lignins, saponins and quinones were absent in the solvent extracts of leaf, stem, fruit wall and seeds. Thus, the species T. cucumerina contains alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, phenols and sterols which play a role in pharmaceutical industry. As the plant T. cucumerina possesses medicinally important secondary metabolites, these can be employed in the treatment of various diseases.