<![CDATA[Cassia alata L. is a medicinal plant containing diverse secondary metabolites, but information on the influence of solvent selection on the extraction yield and phytochemical profile of its roots remains limited compared with the more frequently studied leaves. This study evaluated the effects of 96% ethanol, ethyl acetate, and distilled water on the yield and qualitative phytochemical profile of Cassia alata L. root extracts. The roots were extracted using maceration for 96% ethanol and ethyl acetate and infusion for distilled water, followed by gravimetric yield determination and qualitative phytochemical screening. Distilled water produced the highest yield (69.74%), followed by 96% ethanol (18.54%) and ethyl acetate (14.45%). The ethanol extract tested positive for alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, and triterpenoids; the ethyl acetate extract for alkaloids, flavonoids, and triterpenoids; and the distilledwater extract for alkaloids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, and triterpenoids. The results indicate that solvent characteristics are associated with differences in the amount and classes of constituents recovered from the roots. However, because the organic-solvent extractions and aqueous extraction used different extraction techniques, the observed yield differences cannot be attributed to solvent polarity alone. The findings provide a basis for selecting extraction media for preliminary phytochemical studies of Cassia alata L. roots and support further work using quantitative and compound-specific analytical techniques.]]>
