DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2021.v09i03.004

Pages: 84-88

Three common medicinal plants in the Philippines, Gliricidia sepium (madre de cacao), Melothria pendula (wild pipino), and Pithecellobium dulce (Camachile), were studied to determine their phytochemical components. Healthy, matured leaves of which were collected from Piat, Cagayan, thoroughly washed, air-dried, and then subjected for ethanolic extraction. Phytochemical analysis showed that G. sepium contains coumarins, saponins, steroids (cardiac glycosides), tannins, and terpenoids. M. pendula, on the other hand, possesses alkaloids, anthraquinones, quinones, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, and xanthoproteins. P. dulce, meanwhile, has alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, quinones, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids, and xanthoproteins. These secondary metabolites present on the leaf extract of the aforementioned plants have various pharmacological properties such as analgesic, anti-diarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. This is the reason that these plants were widely used in the local community for the treatment and immediate remedy for common ailments such as fever, loose bowel, and simple wounds.