Abstract

Acacia auriculiformis, widely used for afforestation, produces large amount of fruits which has no specific use other than as fuel for cooking by the ethnic people. The aim of our study is to determine chemical constituents with their definite proportion from different solvent extracts of Acacia auriculiformis pericarp at different maturity stages. Qualitative phytochemical analyses of three different solvents extracts viz. methanolic, 80 % ethanolic and aqueous of nine different maturity stages pericarps were screened to identify the presence of secondary metabolites. Quantitative analyses were performed through standard biochemical procedures to obtain the amount of the secondary metabolites. Finally, liquid chromatographyelectrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis was performed to identify different fractions of the major phytochemical groups. The biochemical assay of the preparation helped to identify saponin, phenols, tannin, flavonoid, alkaloid, steroid, terpenoids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides and reducing sugar as the major groups. Methanolic extract of the 9th maturity stage pericarp contains the highest amount of saponin and a fairly good amount of phenol, flavonoids, tannin and proanthocynidin. With the help of liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analyses 7 triterpenoid saponins (acaciasides) with their relative percentages, 22 flavonoids, 8 tannins and 1 phenolic rich fractiongalloyl glucose were detected. Among the 7 triterpenoid saponins, acaciasides A and B are worked out as the major components. A detail toxicological study may help to establish it as a substitute of conventionally used piscicides as well for other pharmaceutical purposes.