DANIELLIA PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE ROOT OF OLIVERI (ROLFE) HUTCH. & DALZ. (CAESALPINIACEAE) » Download Project Topics

Abstract:

Daniellia oliveri is one of the most extensively utilized medicinal plants; it is a tree all of whose parts are used in Nigeria and some West African countries for the treatment of various ailments example the root is used as chewing stick. In the bid to standardize this plant, pharmacognostic and biological (anti-Candida) studies were carried out on its root and root bark. The anatomical and powdered samples of the root and root bark of D. oliveri were investigated for their microscopical profiles. The results indicated the presence of xylem and phloem tissues, parenchyma cells, cork cells, prisms of calcium oxalate crystals, abundant starch grains and secretory ducts. Phytochemical screening of the methanol extract and its fractions (ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions) revealed the presence of carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, steroids and tannins. The solvent system chloroform: methanol (7:3v/v) and n – butanol: acetic acid: water (2:1:2v/v) were found to be the best solvent systems for the separation of the constituents of the crude methanol extract and the different fractions using thin layer chromatography. Physico-chemical constants of the powdered root bark were determined; as 21.25+ 1.0 (total ash value), 21.75 + 1.0 (acid insoluble ash value), 11 + 1.0 (water soluble extractive value), 15.33+ 2.4 (alcohol soluble extractive value) and 7 + 1.0 (moisture content). The total phenolic content of the root bark extracts of D. oliveri were also determined; as 57±4.55mgg-l (Crude methanol extract), 59.33±6.65mgg-l (ethylacetate fraction), 60±5.72mgg-l (n-butanol fraction), 17±0.00mgg-l (aqueous fraction) and 12±2.94mgg-l (Crude water extract). The methanol extract showed an LD50 of 565.69mgkg-l i.p in rats. The crude methanol extract is fungicidal with minimal inhibitory concentration of 1.5675mgml-l and minimal fungicidal concentration of 50 and 12.5 mgml-l. The aqueous fraction from the methanol extract is fungistatic with minimal inhibitory concentration of 150mgml-l while the crude water extract, ethyl acetate and nbutanol fractions of the root bark of D. oliveri showed no anti Candida activity. The results obtained from this research can be used for the preparation of a monograph for proper identification of this plant.

DANIELLIA PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE ROOT OF OLIVERI (ROLFE) HUTCH. & DALZ. (CAESALPINIACEAE)