INTRODUCTION:

Traditional herbal remedies have been used for a very long time and are usually seen to be safer than manufactured medications. Approaches influenced by traditional medicine are still crucial, particularly for the treatment of chronic illnesses and to aid in drug development for natural products.^1,2,3,4 One important part of a country's natural resources are its medicinal plants. They really add to the providing the rural people with basic healthcare services. They function as both essential raw materials and therapeutic agents. Ingredients used to make traditional medications.^5,6,7,8,9 Most individuals in developing traditional medicine continues to be the main means of treating illnesses in many countries, including India. Nevertheless, Complementary and alternative medicine use is much more common among people who have access to western medicine rapidly increasing worldwide. Medicinal plants are still a valuable medicinal tool for curing human illnesses.^10,11 Strong traditional medical systems including Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Unani have developed and been used for the past 2500 years, with more of them being in the eastern region.^12,13 These customs continue to thrive since over 80% of the people in the for their basic medical needs, emerging nations depend on these medical systems. Diabetes mellitus is essentially a metabolic disease linked to an excessive build-up of blood glucose. The two Diabetes is mostly classified as type 1 or insulin- diabetes mellitus that is dependent (IDDM) and Diabetes type 2 or non-insulin-dependent (NIDDM)1 diabetic mellitus Both varieties are marked by a gradual loss of β-cell function. When type 1 diabetes occurs, this is usually brought on by an attack on the β-cells by the autoimmune system causing cells to die.^14,15 Diabetes type two T2DM is brought on by the pancreatic β-cell fails to adjust to the elevated insulin levels demand brought on by peripheral insulin resistance in adipose tissue, muscle, and liver that leads to long-term hyperglycemia2.¹² It is the reduction of β-cell bulk and/or function which ultimately characterizes the illness. Prolonged One consequence of hyperglycemia is oxidative stress resulting in impaired insulin secretion.^6-9The most common treatments for diabetes are insulin and other oral hypoglycemic medications; however, they also have a number of adverse effects, including hypoglycemia, weight gain from sulphonyl urea, lactic acidosis with bigunoids, and liver damage harm to the kidneys.^16,17 Despite the development of novel hypoglycemic medications, diabetes and the associated issues remain a serious medical concern. But Diabetes can be somewhat controlled with allopathic medication, but Consistent treatment and ongoing medical monitoring invariably result in nonpatient conformity. This has served as justification for the creation of new antidiabetic medications, such as those derived from herbal plants. Numerous native Indians Diabetes can be effectively managed with the use of medicinal plants.^18,19,20

The medical system is still struggling to manage diabetes without causing harmful side effects.21 Patients are requesting more and more natural goods with anti-diabetic action, as oral hypoglycemic medications and insulin have numerous adverse effects consequences. As a result, we are looking for cutting-edge, side-effect-free diabetes treatments.^22,23 Diabetes patients have traditionally been treated with herbal medication, and this practice is still being employed today to be recognized as an alternate kind of treatment at the moment. Following the advent of insulin therapy, research on herbal remedies has been becoming increasingly crucial in recent decades, and the need to use natural items that cure over 400 plant species with anti-diabetic properties, even while some of these are still scientifically.^24,25

The medicinal plant Cassia auriculata L., also referred to as "Tanner's cassia" (Ceasalpinaceae), is widely distributed throughout India. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is frequently used as an astringent and tonic as well as a treatment for diabetes, conjunctive disorders, and ophthalmia.^26,27 The plants' dried leaves and flowers are utilized in medicine. Leaf extract protects the body from oxidative damage caused by alcohol. cells as demonstrated by the increased levels of the tissue lipid peroxidation and decreased tissue lipid peroxidation Antioxidants, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic and alcohol produced experimentally associated hepatic impairment. The Cassia flower extracts in methanol and ethanol. Auriculata exhibited anti-oxidant properties.^28,29The characteristics of cassia species plants that have been shown to have antidiabetic properties are compiled in this review. Cassia species plants are utilized. widely used throughout the world to treat a variety of illnesses, the Its metabolite's synergistic activity is most likely what gives the plants positive outcomes. Researchers from all around the world are drawn to Cassia because of its pharmacological properties that range from antidiabetic to treating other illnesses. About 500 species of flowering plants belong to the big genus Cassia. Fabaceae and is found in many parts of Asia, such as Mauritius, India, America, Mexico, the West Indies, Brazil, China, East Africa, and South Africa.³⁰

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:

Scientific Name: Cassia auriculata Linn

Common Names: Tanner’s Cassia (English), Tarvaŗ Taroda

(Hindi), Taroda, Taravada (Marathi); Avaŗttakī, Vibhandi,

Carmaranga (Sanskrit); Tangēdu (Kannada); Avarai (Tamil);

Aval, Awal (Gujarati);

Synonyms: Senna auriculata;

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Class: Angiospermae

Category: Fabids

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae (pea or bean family)

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae

Genus: Cassia

Species: Cassia auriculata

Botanical Characters:

Appearance:

A multi-branched shrub that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall with a smooth, reddish-brown stem.

Leaves: Green, even-pinnate leaves that are 8–10 centimeters long and have 8–12 pairs of leaflets, each about 2–3 centimeters long. The leaves are arranged alternately and have an obtuse-retuse or mucronate apex.³

Flowers: Bright yellow flowers that are 4–5 centimeters wide and bloom in terminal or axillary, corymbose racemes. The flowers bloom throughout the year.¹

Fruit: A flattened brown pod that is 7–11 centimeters long and contains 10–20 seeds. The fruit also ripens throughout the year.⁸

Chemical Constituents:

Flowers: Alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins and steroids.

Leaves: O-methyl-d-glucose, resorcinol, alpha-tocopherol- beta –mannosidase and carboxylic acid.

Seeds: Palmitic acid, linoleic acid, benzoic acid 2-hydroxyl methyl ester, 1-methyl butyl ester and resorcinol.

Roots: Anthraquinone glycosides and flavone glycosides.

Fig: Cassia auriculata

EXTRACTION:

Preparation of leaf and flower extract:

The leaves and flowers of Cassia auriculata were allowed to dry at room temperature before being ground into a powder in an electronic grinder and kept at 5°C until needed. The dried leaves and flowers were submerged for 72 hours in ethanol to extract them. These excerpts were the residue was filtered and allowed to air dry. Screening of solvent-free phytochemicals extracted using the Harborne method for qualitative analysis.¹⁶

Preparation of Seed Extract:

Dust and undesirable plant material were removed from the seeds, which were then shade-dried, chopped, and ground into a powder. Other Seeds (500g) were removed in stages at room temperature. heated, filtered, and concentrated at a lower pressure. over a rotating evaporator. The dehydrated extract was subsequently Petroleum Ether (40.5grams) fractionated, 5.8g of n-butanol 1:1 acetone to methanol (26.8g) methanol: water 1:1 (21.23g). Additionally, individually extracted seeds using Soxhlet's methanol extraction at 60 ˦ C. The solvents were selected because they greater distribution of polar bioactive molecules and halfway polar.²⁷

Phytochemical Screening:

The initial phytochemical examination of acetone, n-butanol extract, and petroleum ether extract: extracts of methanol, methanol: water was examined to check for phytochemicals such as Triterpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, steroids, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, and tannins by standard techniques.²²

1. Steroid detection:

Salkowski Test: Two milliliters of chloroform and two milliliters of concentrated sulfuric acid were mixed with a few milligrams of extract added from the test tube's side. For a few minutes, it was rattled. The formation of red in the layer of chloroform showed that sterols were present.

Liebermann Burchard Test:

A test using a little amount of extract tube, and a small amount of acetic anhydride was added before being gradually heated. It received a few drips of strong sulfuric acid. The blue hue provided proof of the existence of Sterols.

2. Glycoside’s detection:

Keller-Killani test: Add two milliliters of extract, glacial acetic acid, a drop of 5% ferric chloride, and concentrated sulfuric acid added. Reddish-brown appearance at the the two liquid layers' intersection suggests the existence of glycosides in the heart.

3. Alkaloid’s detection:

A few milligrams of each extract were extracted and filtered in diluted HCl acid. Chemical tests for alkaloids were conducted using the acid layer. Dragendorff test: a coating of acid with a few drops of the substance. The precipitate is reddish-brown.

4. Triterpenoid’s detection:

Liebermann-Burchard Test: A small amount of extract was dissolved in a small amount of chloroform and acetic anhydride. were introduced, and then concentrated sulfuric acid from side of the test tube. formation of the reddish-brown ring at the intersection, terpenoids are present.

5. Flavonoid’s detection:

Shinoda Test- A tiny amount of the extract was dissolved with 5 milliliters of 95% v/v ethanol and lightly diluted with 0.5g of magnesium and concentrated hydrochloric acid pivots. The colors crimson, magenta, and pink suggest flavonoid content.

6. Tannin’s detection:

Ferric Chloride Test: After dissolving roughly 50mg of extract in purified water, a few drops of neutral 5% ferric. A chloride solution was introduced. creation of green, blue, and the presence of tannins is indicated by the violet color. Condensed tannins, brownish green, and hydrolyzable tannins.

7. Protein Detection:

Add 2 drops of 1% w/v test solution and 2-5 drops of 1% w/v copper sulfate aqeous solution and 2 milliliters 40% A sodium hydroxide aqueous solution was added, w/v. The For two minutes, the mixture was heated. development of violet or pink Proteins were denoted by color.

8. Amino acid detection:

Ninhydrin test: Fill a test tube with 1 milliliter of each solution, then add two drops of the ninhydrin solution. Bring the mixture to a boil. mixture for two minutes over a water bath. Let it cool and look at the blue hue that developed.

9. Saponin Detection:

Test for foam: The extract was dissolved and well blended. A coating of froth or foam on the water suggests the existence of saponins.

10. Sugar Detection:

To two milliliters of test solution, add two milliliters of Fehling's Fehling's solution B and solution A were combined, and they were heated in five minutes in a bath of hot water. Red formation precipitate suggested that reducing monosaccharides were present or disaccharides.

DISCUSSION:

The comprehensive chemical analysis covers the steps from plant material collection and authentication to extraction by various solvents, and its assessment by qualitative and quantitative techniques for assessing the phytochemical content of crude medications. The current study exemplifies the methodical investigation of plants content that includes both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of preliminary analysis of phytochemical.²⁰One traditional ayurvedic treatment for DM is Cassia auriculata (CA). Phytochemical screening revealed the existence of several phytochemicals, including flavanoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, saponins, terpenoids, and tannins. Three-quarters of the world's population suffers from diabetes mellitus, which is rapidly increasing in prevalence and is thought to be a key contributor to significant financial losses in turn hinder countries' progress.¹⁷ Also, many chronic problems are caused by untreated diabetes including heart problems, blindness, renal failure, and so forth. In light of thus, treatments founded on the ideas of western the effectiveness of allopathic medicine is frequently restricted, carrying the potentially harmful consequences, and are frequently too expensive, particularly for developing nations. Thus, diabetes mellitus treatment using readily available plant-derived chemicals that do not need arduous pharmaceutical synthesis appears to be very alluring.²³

CONCLUSION:

For millennia, people have utilized C. auriculata as a therapeutic herb. Cassia found that numerous chemical compounds with medicinal value are derived from the plant. Ayurvedic, ethnobotanical, and folklore claims all point to India's traditional medical system. Phytochemicals are plant-based bioactive compounds that have been linked to preventing chronic degenerative illnesses in humans. Our current situation.¹¹ Additionally, research supports the antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of Cassia auriculata leaves, flowers, and seeds.

It is obvious that further research is needed to identify the active principle or principles, as well as a detailed examination of the mechanisms behind the observed acts.⁹

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Received on 17.10.2024 Revised on 13.12.2024

Accepted on 29.01.2025 Published on 05.03.2025

Available online from March 11, 2025

Res. J. Pharmacognosy and Phytochem. 2025; 17(1):75-79.

DOI: 10.52711/0975-4385.2025.00013

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