PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING COMPARATIVE OF THE COMMERCIAL SAMPLES OF “ERVA-DE-BICHO” ACQUIRED BY POPULAR NAME MENES, B.F., SANTOS, L.E., FRACASSO, J.F., MOREIRA, R.R.D. 1 Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Department of Natural Active Principles and Toxicology,, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences- UNESP- Univ. Estadual Paulista- Araraquara, São Paulo state-Brazil keywords “erva-de-bicho”, phytochemical screening, Polygonum acre 1. Introduction It is now known the importance of proving the authenticity of a vegetable raw material which is given exclusively by their chemical Table 1. Results of phytochemical screening comparative of commercial samples of the “erva-de-bicho” Chemichal Reaction Sample 1 composition, minimizing the problems that are more frequent adulteration, the non-uniformity of chemical composition and contamination. The species of the genus Sample 2 Results Saponins +++ +++ Tanins Polygonum Gelatin Precipitacion de-bicho”, being of Asian origin, but with Iron salts Coloration green Coloration green widespread popular use in the state of Mato Flavonoids: (Angiospermae) are known popularly as "erva- Grosso do Sul (Brazil) in the treatment of hemorrhoids in the form of sitz bath. Therefore, reaction Taubock Precipitacion Fluorescent Fluorescent yellow-green yellow-green this study aimed to phytochemical screening of commercial samples of “erva-de-bicho”, acquired and distributor of herbal medicinal and herbal compared with results of literature to authentic sample of Polygonum acre. 2. Methods Through chemical testing, we characterized the 4. Conclusion According to the results we can conclude that the commercial samples of “erva-de-bicho” presented the principal classes of secundary metabolites seconds literature. major classes of secondary metabolites in plant Acknowledgments drug (“erva-de-bicho”) and which are essential CNPq for the scholarship initiation relevant for its pharmacological action. Techniques were scientific PIBIC. used seconds COSTA (1984), such as saponins foaming, tannin-gelatin reaction and iron salts, flavonoids, and reactions Taubock). References CARDOSO, C.A.L.; HONDA, N.K.; DIAS, E.S. Avaliação do perfil cromatográfico em espécies de Polygonum e amostras comercializadas como "erva-de-bicho”. Rev. Bras. 3. Results de Farmacognosia., v. 16, n. 2, 2006. COSTA, A. F. Farmacognosia. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste The results are presented in Table 1. Gulbenkian, 1984.