karbala journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Abstract

Phytochemical investigation and urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment of parsley seeds, fennel seeds, and corn silk were studied. The aim of this study was conducted to investigation the best method of extraction on total extract, with preliminary screening of phytochemical compounds of parsley seeds (Petroselinum sativum), fennel seeds ( Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and corn silk ( Zea mays L.) to treat urinary tract diseases. The parts of each plant were extracted by two different methods, hot method by using distilled water and cold method was done by maceration with 90% ethanol at room temperature. In both methods the extract was dried under reduced pressure by rotary evaporator. Preliminary investigation of phytochemical compounds was done by using alkaline reagent test for flavonoids, foam test for saponins, terpenoids test for terpenoids, fehling’s reagent for reducing sugar and Dragendroff’s reagent for alkaloids. The qualitative identification was done by TLC. The results showed that the percentage yields of crud extracts by boiling with distilled water were higher than that obtained from cold maceration with 90% ethanol. The percentage of phytochemical components, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugar, terpenoids and alkaloids of water extracts were higher than that in ethanolic extracts.
The effect of extracts in the treatment of UTI displayed that the combination of three plants water extracts were stronger than ethanolic extract. Based on our knowledge this is the first study on the effect of extracts from P. sativum, F. vulgare, and Z. mays in the treatment of UTI.