PHYTOCHEMICAL, PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ACUTE TOXICITY STUDY OF DIOSPYROS MESPILIFORMIS (AFRICAN EBONY) STEM BARK

Abstract

Methanol, Ethyl acetate and Petroleum ether extracts of stem bark of an indigenous plant, Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst (Ebenaceae), were phytochemically screened and quantified. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoid, steroids, terpenoids, cardiacglycosides, anthraquinones, phenolic compounds and carbohydrates. Quantitative analysis of the bio-constituents was carried out using UV-Spectrophotometric method as described by various researchers. Cardiac glycoside was found to have the highest quantity in the extract (37.40±4.98µg/g), followed by Total Phenolic (21.43±3.03µg/g), flavonoids (20.68±0.43 µg/g), Tannins (13.84±0.21 µg/g), Alkaloids (12.06±0.12µg/g) and Saponins (0.53±0.01 µg/g) having the least quantity. Important physicochemical parameters comprising of moisture content (6.60%), total ash (12.25%), acid insoluble ash (8.60%), water soluble ash (10.82%), ethanol extractive value (16.10%) and water extractive value (7.23%) were evaluated. These parameters are important for detecting adulteration or improper handling of drugs. Acute oral administration of crude methanol extract of D. mespiliformis showed the LD50 value to be greater than 5000mg/kg body weight.The present work on D. mespiliformis may open up a fresh line of research into discoveries of new drugs in many classes. It will be more fortunate if the new drugs to be discovered will have better efficacy and less toxicity than the already existing ones in the classes.

Keywords

• diospyros
• mespiliformis
• phytochemicals
• toxicity
• FT-IR Analysis
• pharmacognostic