Pharmacognostical and preliminary investigation of Iraqi cultivated Bougainvillea spectabilis

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the morphological characteristics such as shapes, colors, and sizes of different parts of the plant, as well as microscopical analysis of both fresh and dried leaves, and to identify several phytoconstituents through preliminary phytochemical screening. Methods: The plant was collected from Baghdad, Iraq. Morphological features such as shape, color, and size, were examined in fresh B.spectabilis leaves, flowers, bracts, and stems; while for microscopical examination, both fresh and dried leaves were employed. Furthermore, different secondary metabolites were investigated by general preliminary tests. Results: In this study, the plant's morphological characteristics were estimated as well as the types of stomata and trichomes of both fresh and dried leaves were identified microscopically. Furthermore, general phytochemical screening on different parts of the plant revealed that it contains alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, terpinoids, and carbohydrates, but it loses both flavonoids and coumarins. Conclusion: The morphological characteristics of Bougainvillea spectabilis grown in Iraq were found to be similar to those grown in other countries, with the exception that the petaloid bracts, which are modified leaves that surround the flower, are only available in purple or rusty-red, whereas those grown in other countries are available in a variety of colors ranging from white to red. In preliminary tests, all the tested parts of the plant were found to contain similar phytochemicals, however the quantities may differ, and more quantitative researches are needed to validate this. Many phytochemicals are abundant in this plant, with the exception of coumarins and flavonoids, which are missing.