ABSTRACT:
Mussaenda frondosa Linn of family Rubiaceae commonly known as ‘Vellilathali’ is one of the traditionally used plant in India. It has been used in folk medicine in the treatment of various conditions like bacterial infection, inflammation, ulcer, hepatoprotection etc. In the present study based on the traditional use, the leaves of the plant material were subjected to preliminary standardization and then successive extraction with solvents petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol respectively. The phytochemical screening of the extracts were done and the further studies were done by isolating the total flavanoids and phenolic compounds from the methanolic extract of the plant by using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The methanolic extract and isolated flavanoid and phenolic fraction of Mussaenda frondosa leaves were tested for in vitro anticancer activity on HepG2 cell line by MTT assay method and the methanolic extract and isolated flavonoid fraction showed better activity against HepG2 cell line.