Abstract

FUNCTIONAL GROUP ANALYSIS OF SOME ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE KANIKKAR TRIBE BY THE FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED (FTIR) SPECTROSCOPY

*C. Baby Shalini

Abstract

The present study focuses on the phytochemical/functional group analysis by the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy in the fine powder of whole plant of Ampelocissus indica, Aristolochia tagala, Diploclisia glaucescens, Leucas biflora, Piper mullesua, Polygala arvensis, Rivea hypocrateriformis, Solanum diphyllum, Thespesia lampas and Thottea siliquosa used as medicine by the Kanikkars in various villages of Pechiparai panchayat (forest range) in Kalkulam taluk of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu state and mainland India. The functional group analysis by the FTIR Spectroscopy confirms the presence of characteristic functional groups such as alkanes, aromatic compounds, carboxylic acids, ethers, halogen derivatives, ketones, nitro compounds, phenols and sulphur compounds. The results confirm the fact that the therapeutic benefits of these plants could be attributed to the presence of aforesaid functional groups.

Keywords: Ethnobotany, Ethno-medicinal Plants, Traditional Plants, Traditional Medicine, Ethno-medicine, Kanikkars, Petchiparai, Kanyakumari, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy.