Phytochemical Screening of the Ethanolic Leaves and Root Extract of Scoparia Dulcis

Plants are rich in several secondary metabolites and are a major source of chemical diversity, they are a potential source of new drugs for man whose use to control diseases is a centuries-old practice. Scoparia dulcis is an important medicinal plant, belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae. It is locally known as Rumafada in northern Nigeria. The plant is a small, much branched, glabrous, leafy annual herb or under shrub with erects or ascending branches. The objective of this study was to carry out phytochemical screening of the stem and root extract of S. dulcis. The phytochemicals screened includes; alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, phenols, reducing sugars, and terpenoids using standard methods. The ethanolic root and leaves extract of Scoparia dulcis (Scophulareacea) was investigated phytochemically. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phenols. Cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones, and reducing sugars were absence in this investigation