DOCUMENTATION OF ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES OF BALOCHISTAN AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF SERIPHIDIUM QUETTENSE (PODLECH) LING

Abstract

Seriphidium quettense (Podlech) Ling, Bull. belongs to the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Quetta, Balochistan, In the present the endemic flowering plants of Pakistan was enlisted with a special focus on the endemic species of Balochistan. Seriphidium quettense, an endemic medicinal plant of Quetta, Balochistan, was qualitatively evaluated for its secondary metabolites like alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, tanins, saponins, phlobatanins and cardiac glycosides. A total of 170 flowering plant species were found to be endemic to Pakistan which belonged to 95 genera and 29 families. The search revealed that there are at least 21 endemic flowering plants in Balochistan belonging to 16 genera and 12 families. The phytochemical screening of S. quettense proved that alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids,tanins, saponins, phlobatanins and cardiac glycosides were present in the aerial parts of the plant while steroids were absent. The re-documentation of the endemic flora and their threatened status according to ICUN rules is suggested for the province of Balochistan. Biological activities and detailed phytochemical screening of the endemic plants of Balochistan is also suggested in order to discover new and novel drugs.