Estimation of phytochemical components in Strychnos potatorum extract from samples collected from different water sources

Water is an essential drinking source for all life forms, it constitutes about 65% of the body weight in human beings and its quality plays crucial role for maintaining biological functions in human beings and other living organisms. Besides, being essential function for life, it also enhances life in numerous other ways by maintaining cell functions in living beings, particularly as an effective biological solvent and as a reactant molecule in many biological, chemical reactions etc. This interest in drugs of plant origin is due to several reasons, namely, conventional medicine can be inefficient (e.g. side effects and ineffective therapy), abusive or incorrect use of synthetic drugs results in side effects and other problems. Many infectious diseases are associated with faecally contaminated water and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Waterborne diseases are caused by enteric pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and parasites that are transmitted by the faecal oral route. Water borne spread of infection by these pathogenic microorganisms depends on several factors such as: the survival of these microorganisms in the water environment, the infectious dose of the Safe drinking water should be generally free from pathogenic organisms, toxic substances, heavy metals, turbidity, excess of minerals and other organic compounds. It should be colorless, odorless ideally cool and tasteless so as to be enticing and healthy to consumers.