Eclipta prostrata is a perineal weedy plant grown in wet lands in Sri Lanka. (Sanskrit name– Bringaraja, Sinhala name– Keekirindiya). This is a well-known medicinal plant used in Ayurveda as well as Sri Lankan Indigenous Medicine. Fresh juice of this whole plant is used as a home remedy for liver disorders. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the chemical constituents present in the crude dried whole plant extract of Eclipta prostrata. Phytochemical screening of Eclipta prostrata was done by extracting the powder of whole plant with four different solvents; water,ethanol, hexane and ethyl acetate. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of Carbohydrates, Aminoacids, Alkaloids, Tannis, Phenolic compounds, Terpenoids, Steroids, Flavanoids Cardiac glycosides, Saponins and Anthraquinone glycosides. Phytochemical analysis of Eclipta prostrata reveals absence of Resins. Presence of above phytochemicals may be responsible for the therapeutic effects of Eclipta prostrata on liver diseases. Finally, it is concluded that Eclipta prostrata plant contains medicinally important bioactive compounds and this finding justifies the ethnomedical use of this plant for various diseases of human.

Keywords: Eclipta prostrata; Phytochemical analysis; Sri Lankan Indigenous Medicine; Ethnomedicine; Bringaraja.