Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

Unraveling the phytochemistry, biological, and pharmacological activities of plants native to North Dakota

Natural medicinal plants have attracted researchers around the globe due to their potential use as remedies for many diseases. There are hundreds of medicinal plants native to North Dakota that contain diverse phytochemicals which are still unraveled in their phytochemistry, biological, and pharmacological activities. Part of this project aimed to extract and identify secondary metabolites from four plants: Asclepias incarnata (milkweed), Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), and Solidago canadensis (goldenrod). Plant materials were dried, ground, and sequentially extracted using Soxhlet apparatus with methanol and water to account for polarity differences. The resulting extracts were subjected to classical phytochemical screening assays. Dragendorff’s reagent was to test for alkaloids, Fehling’s solution (A and B with sodium potassium tartrate tetrahydrate) was used for reducing sugars, tannic acid solution identified phenolic compounds, and additional qualitative tests targeted glycosides and saponins. Positive reactions indicating the presence of phytochemicals were observed in milkweed, purple coneflower, and lemon balm, while no detectable phytochemicals were found in goldenrod under these conditions. These findings highlight that even within native plant species, secondary metabolite content varies significantly, suggesting a need for targeted screening when evaluating plants for potential medicinal use. This study establishes a foundation for future spectroscopic analysis and quantification of specific bioactive compounds in North Dakota flora and to investigate their uses as antimicrobial and anticancer agents. Different phytochemicals present in each extract will be investigated for their antimicrobial/anticancer activities.