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Aegle marmelos is a reputed medicinal plant with many biologically active
compounds. Activity guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract of dried flowers of
Aegle marmelos,' based on the anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic effect was studied
in the present study. The ethanolic extract was partitioned into ethyl acetate and hexane
and the fractions were tested for anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic effect in rats. The
volatile compounds in ethyl acetate and hexane fraction were analyzed by GC-MS. The
ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic effect and
it was further separated by column and thin layer chromatography. All the fractions were
subjected to phytochemical screening. Alpha-phellandrene and eugenol was the most
abundant volatile compound identified in the ethyl acetate and hexane fractions
respectively. The fraction which showed the highest anti-inflammatory effect contained
poly phenols and triterpenoids and its FTIR spectrum exhibited the presence of O-H/NH/C=0/C-C1 and C=C groups. The fraction with the highest hypoglycaemic effect
contained coumarins and flavonoids and the FTIR spectrum exhibited the presence of OH/N-H/C=0 and C=C groups. The identified monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes may
responsible for the typical aroma of the extracts of dried flowers of A. marmelos while
triterpenoids, coumarins and flavonoids may responsible for the anti-inflammatory andhypoglycaemic effect of the ethanolic extract of dried flowers of A. marmelos.
