Comparison between direct aqueous extract and partially purified aqueous fraction of crude hydro-methanol extract of whole plant of Codariocalyx motorius (Houtt.) H. Ohashi (Desmodium gyrans) in terms of phytoconstituents and pharmacological efficacy.

Codariocalyx motorius (Desmodium gyrans) of the family Fabaceae has wide use in folklore and Ayurvedic medicine for various human ailments. A chromatographically purified aqueous fraction of hydro-methanolic extract of the whole plant (DGMAF) has been reported to possesses antioxidant, HDL enhancing, and reverse cholesterol transport efficacy. Present study assesses whether direct aqueous extract (DGA) of the plant possesses the same phytochemical and pharmacological efficacy to that of DGMAF so that a cost-effective drug development is possible. The compounds tannins, phenols, saponins, sterols, and flavonoids were present in both DGA and DGMAF but varied in terms of quantity. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) enhancing and hypolipidemic compounds, medicanine and 5-alpha-cholestane, the anti-inflammatory compound imperialine were common in DGA and DGMAF as revealed by LC-MS. Cardioprotective Rumesoxide, antibacterial 5-aminopentanoic acid and dihydroxynotropane were pertinent to DGA, Thus DGA, a cost-effective alternative to DGMAF, needs to be further ascertained.