Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Studies of the Stembark Extract of Erythrophleum Africanum (Welw. Ex Benth) Harms
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the research
Aim of the research
To isolate and characterize the chemical components of the stembark extract of E. africanum and investigate its antimicrobial activities as well as ethnomedicinal/cultural claims for its use as a medicinal plant.
Objectives of the research
The objectives of the study are:
- Collection, identification, drying, grinding of plant material, and extraction of powdered plant with ethanol to exhaustion.
- Partitioning of crude ethanol extract with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and n butanol.
- Phytochemical screening of the plant extract.
- Antimicrobial studies of the plant extract
- Isolation and structural elucidation of the isolated compound(s) using spectral techniques e.g. 1HNMR, 13CNMR, DEPT, COSY, NOESY, HMBC, and HSQC.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Taxonomical Description of the Plant Erythrophleum africanum (Welw. ex Benth) Harms Name: Erythrophleum africanum (Welw. ex Benth) Harms
Kingdom: Plantae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Leguminosae-Caesalpinioidae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioidae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Genus: africanum
Scientific name author: (Welw. ex Benth) Harms
English: Ordeal tree or Afrian black wood, Sasswood
Hausa: Samberu, Gwaska
Origin and Geographical Distribution:
Erythrophleum africanum occurs in much of tropical Africa, from Senegal east to Sudan and South throughout Central Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa to Transvaal (Neuwinger, 2000) and Nigeria (Burkill, 1995).
Traditional Uses:
In Ghana, a mouth wash for relieving toothache is made from the back of Erythrophleum
africanum, in Zimbabwe an infusion of the bark is drunk to treat stomach-ache or dysmenorrhaea, the bark steeped in water is applied externally and internally to cure cardiac diseases and epilepsy. In Namibia the powdered root bark mixed with urine is applied to skin to treat leprosy. Hot water extracts from the pounded root is drunk to induce vomiting in case of poisoning and as a cure for insanity. Inhaling the smoke of burning leaves is said to relieve pain. A paste of root bark is applied to skin to cure scabies. The bark has been used as an ordeal poison in Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe (Burkill, 1995; Jonathan et al., 2000).
The timber of Erythrophleum africanum and several other Erythrophleum species is marked under the trade name “Missanda” it is used for furniture, heavy and light construction, posts, poles and tool handles. The wood is used as firewood and to make good-quality charcoal, used in iron working. Cutting is used to establish living fences. The gum from the bark is used to make basket water proof and to fix arrow heads and axe handle. In Zambia the folliage is reportedly used as a fodder but source from several other countries report that it is toxic and that cattle are kept away from it (Tulikki, 2003).
Botany:
Erythrophleum africanum is a tropical plant commonly found in arid land. In Nigeria, the stem bark is dark brown, rough and cracked or slash reddish and gritty (Mabberley, 1997). It is a small tree up 15 m tall bole strength and cylindrical, up to 120 cm in diameter, crown spreading, fairly dense, young parts have variable hairy, bipinnately compound with 3-4 pairs of opposite pinnae, stipulate minute; petotiole 3, 5 cm long rachis 3-15 cm long; leaves alternate, 8-17 per pinna, elliptical or ovate, up to 6 cm x 3.5 cm, base symmetrical, apex obtuse to rounded. Inflorescence an auxiliary or terminal penicles consisting of spike-like raceme up to 10 cm long, often smoothly hairy, flower bisexual, regular, 5- merous, white to yellowish green; pedical 1 mm long, hairy, calyx c.2.5 mm long, tube about as long as lobes. Petals narrowly obovate, up to 4 mm x 1 mm; stamens 10, free, up to 8 mm long; ovary superior, long woolly hairy, 1-called stigma broadly peltate, fruit a flat straight, dehiscent pod, elliptical in outling 5-19 cm x 2-4.5 cm base rounded, apex rounded ortopering, thick leathery, pendulous, 3-4 seeded. Seeds ovoid, compressed, C.12 mm x 10 mm x 4 mm (Arbonnier, 2004).
CHAPTER THREE
Materials for Extraction and Phytochemical Test
- Soxhlet extractor apparatus
- Rotary evaporator
- Vacuum pump
- Steam bath
- Anti-bumping granules
- Heating mantle
- Test tubes
- Beakers
- Separatory funnel
Reagent for Extraction and Phytochemical Screening
- Ethanol
- Petroleum ether
- Chloroform
- Ethyl acetate
- n-Butanol
- Sodium hydroxide (10 %)
- Hydrochloric acid (concentrated, 10 %)
- Dilute sulphuric acid
- Acetone
- Ammonia solution (28 %)
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
Results of Extraction
The pulverized plant material was macerated exhaustively with ethanol; the mixture was then filtered, concentrated and the crude extract was weighed. The weight of crude extract was found to be 200 g.
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