Andrographis Elongata : a panacea of nanchinad - conservation methods

Andrographis elongata is an endemic medicinal plant distributed in the Western Ghats of South India. Nanchinad is the boundary and a part of old Travancore during 18th and 19th century. It is used as a panacea by the local people of old Travancore for the removal of splinter in throat, and thorns in body parts. Hence it is called as ¿mullurinjipachilä by local people. It is used for the treatment of various human and veterinary diseases. The present study concentrated on the phytochemical, pharmocological and conservative aspects of Andrographis elongata. The proximate analysis of A. elongata indicated that the plant possessed sufficient quantities of moisture content, fibre content, total ash, acid soluble ash and water soluble ash, loss on drying, alcohol soluble extractive, water soluble extractive, chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, carbohydrate, ascorbic acid, phenols and flavonoids. The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, saponines, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Tannin, Coumarin and phenol in the methanolic root, stem and leaves extract of A. elongata.