Phytochemical Screening and Mineral Composition of Anthyllis Barba Jovis L. Leaves

Abstract

Introduction: Anthyllis barba jovis is an endemic Fabaceae of the Mediterranean basin. This species is very little studied, and therefore, deserves a greater interest. We undertook a phytochemical screening (search for saponin, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenes, sterols, free quinones and anthocyanins) and an analytical study on the mineral composition of leaves. Materials and Methods: The fresh plant was collected from Soug Rguibette station in El Kala National Park, Willaya of El Tarf (Eastern Algeria) in autumn 2020. Nitrogen (N) was determined by the Kjeldahl method. Calcium and magnesium were determined by titrimetry, total phosphorus and iron by spectrophotometry while sodium and potassium were determined by flame spectrophotometry. Results and discussion: Phytochemical screening revealed that the leaves are rich in flavonoids, saponins, and gallic tannins and moderately rich in terpenes and sterols, anthocyanins and free quinones. The ash content in the leaves was 7.89% of fresh matter. The sodium was the dominant component with 610 mg/100g of dry matter, followed by potassium (252 mg/100g) and then calcium (107 mg/100g). The contents of magnesium (38.9 g/100g), phosphorus (14.64 mg/100g), nitrogen (12.0 mg/100 g) and iron (4.2 mg/100g), were very low. Conclusion: This study has allowed us to know some important aspects of Anthyllis barba-jovis that will be used to develop the cultivation of this species to better exploit its medicinal qualities.