Herbal medicine

Rauwolfia serpentina is a well-known medicinal plant in traditional medicine. It is noted for containing a high concentration of alkaloids and being able to help alleviate symptoms associated with high blood pressure and neurological diseases. The goal of this study was to employ a systematic phytochemical method to separate and characterise the structure of the bioactive alkaloids present in the roots of R. serpentina. We used methanol to extract the dried root powder and then split it into smaller parts using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. The chloroform fraction contained the highest concentration of alkaloids (2.68%) and was subsequently separated into five distinct alkaloids using column chromatography. TLC profiling showed that these chemicals were Reserpine, Ajmaline, Yohimbine, Serpentine, and Ajmalicine, and FTIR, NMR (^1H and ^13C), and Mass Spectrometry verified this. The statistical analysis (ANOVA) revealed significant differences in alkaloid content between the solvent systems (p = 0.001), with chloroform being the most effective extractant. The results confirm that R. serpentina is rich in phytochemicals and provide a proven method for isolating natural products. This has implications for the discovery and development of further medications

being a major contributor to liver damage. The present review has focused attention on the antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of standardised herbal extracts, which can represent a natural and sustainable solution for liver health. Standardisation makes it possible to ensure consistency in the concentration of bioactive compounds, enhancing the reliability and efficacy of these herbal remedies. Key extracts, such as silymarin from Silybum marianum, curcumin from Curcuma longa, and lignans from Phyllanthus amarus, exhibit strong antioxidant properties by scavenging free radicals, preventing lipid peroxidation and regulating inflammatory pathways. Their clinical and preclinical evidence has proved them to be effective in treating liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, drug-induced liver injury, and viral hepatitis. Despite their promises, some hurdles still face them, including variability in raw materials, low bioavailability, and regulatory gaps. This review calls for further optimization of bioavailability as well as the synergistic effects of phytochemicals along with the availability of global regulatory standards to establish standardized herbal extracts as effective integrative therapeutic options for liver health.