Sandigawad Annapurna M
Lonicera japonica (Honeysuckle) Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae) is one of the oldest medicinal plants in known history. Sometimes referred to woodbine was once used widely to treat urinary complaints, asthma etc. Lonicera japonica is an ingredient of herbal tea and has been known thousands of years for its cooling and detoxification effects. According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, honeysuckle is taken orally for digestive disorders, enteritis, dysentery, urinary disorders, headache, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, malignant tumors etc. The objective of the present study is to identify the phytochemical constituents of Lonicera japonica in order to understand the nature of the principle components responsible for its medicinal property. Gas chromatography/Mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) system was employed to provide a rapid method to make characterization of the bioactive compounds present in the hydroethanolic extract from Lonicera japonica Flowers. Ethanolic extract of flower oil of Lonicera japonica evidenced the presence of multiple components in the extract. The structures of thirty seven compounds found in the hydroethanolic flower oil were suggested mainly by MS data, reference compounds and available mass spectra data in the literature. Flavanoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, terpenes and steroids were found as the main constituents.
