**1. Introduction**

Phytochemistry, basically described as the chemistry of plants and different plant parts, is generally considered an early subdivision of organic chemistry and is very important in the identification of plant compounds with medicinal properties [1].

Phytochemistry is associated with numerous species of secondary metabolites produced in plants by biosynthesis and the natural combination of all these secondary metabolites gives the general beneficial therapeutic effects of that specific plant [2, 3].

Plants biosynthesize phytochemicals to protect themselves from insect attacks and plant diseases. Phytochemicals ("Phyto" is the Greek word for plant) are plant chemicals with no nutritional value, non-essential nutrients, and with disease preventive properties. Some of the most common phytochemicals are lycopene (found in tomatoes), flavonoids (found in fruits), and isoflavones (found in soy) [4, 5].

more than 80% water and important amounts of proteins, fibers, phenolic compounds, minerals, and vitamins [15]. Most species of the *Ribes* genus are rich in prodelphinidin, contain no

Qualitative Analysis of Phytochemicals from Sea Buckthorn and Gooseberry

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.77365

163

Although both sea buckthorn and gooseberry are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases, no clear scientific evidence exists to prove their therapeutic benefits and, therefore, it is very important to determine the qualitative content of these two fruits.

In this chapter, sea buckthorn and gooseberry dried fruits are used to prepare aqueous extracts using a method that involves the cold infusion at a constant temperature of 4°C for 24 h. The two aqueous extracts are further used for the qualitative screening of phytochemicals, and the most important bioactive chemical constituents that are studied are carbohydrates, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, and terpenoids. All these qualitative studies use standard analytical methods and the results are clearly detailed in the

Sea buckthorn (*Hippophae rhamnoides* L.) and gooseberry (*Ribes grossularia*) are bought readily dried from local natural shops and are further used to prepare aqueous extracts using a method that involves the following steps (**Figure 2**): grinding the dried fruits into a fine powder, weighting an exact amount of powder, and extracting it using a determined volume of

The cold infusion takes place in sealed "French press" type coffee filters (**Figure 3**), one for

**2. Preparation of aqueous extracts from sea buckthorn and** 

ellagitannins, and are low in carotenoid content [16].

distilled water at a constant temperature of 4°C.

**Figure 2.** Preparation of sea buckthorn and gooseberry aqueous extracts.

every fruit involved in this research [17].

present chapter.

**gooseberry**

Species belonging even to the same genus can differ one from another in different proportions and sometimes these differences are subtle and extremely difficult to determine. Therefore, new phytochemical methods quickly developed coming in addition to those that were already known and applied [6, 7].

There are many known phytochemicals, and each has its own possible action [8–10]:


Sea buckthorn (*Hippophae rhamnoides* L.), an ancient plant with modern attributes, has numerous pharmacological effects: cardioprotective, inhibits platelet aggregation, lowers the levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, and provides antioxidant activity. The berries have an orangeyellowish color (see **Figure 1a**) and are an important source of vitamin C and A, phenolic compounds (especially flavonoids), and phytosterols [11, 12]. The mineral content (whether it's the fruit itself or the juice) is another important factor, which comes to complete all the beneficial properties of sea buckthorn: five essential minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, sodium, and manganese) and four trace elements (chromium, vanadium, selenium, and cobalt) [13].

Gooseberries (*Ribes grossularia*) are generally divided into two groups, namely European (*Ribes grossularia* var. *uva-crispa*) and American (*Ribes hirtellum*) [14]. The fruits (**Figure 1b**) contain

**Figure 1.** (a) Sea buckthorn and (b) gooseberry.

more than 80% water and important amounts of proteins, fibers, phenolic compounds, minerals, and vitamins [15]. Most species of the *Ribes* genus are rich in prodelphinidin, contain no ellagitannins, and are low in carotenoid content [16].

Although both sea buckthorn and gooseberry are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases, no clear scientific evidence exists to prove their therapeutic benefits and, therefore, it is very important to determine the qualitative content of these two fruits.

In this chapter, sea buckthorn and gooseberry dried fruits are used to prepare aqueous extracts using a method that involves the cold infusion at a constant temperature of 4°C for 24 h. The two aqueous extracts are further used for the qualitative screening of phytochemicals, and the most important bioactive chemical constituents that are studied are carbohydrates, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, tannins, proteins, amino acids, and terpenoids. All these qualitative studies use standard analytical methods and the results are clearly detailed in the present chapter.
