PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE BARK OF SCLEROCARYA BIRREA (A. RICH,) HOCHST.

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE BARK OF SCLEROCARYA BIRREA (A. RICH,) HOCHST.

Abstract:

Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst is a Savannah tree belonging to the family Anacardiaceae.. The different parts of the plant, especially the plant bark, have long been used by traditional healers in the northern parts of Nigeria for treating dysentery, hemorrhoids and skin diseases. A thorough literature survey indicated that there has been no systematic phytochemical or biological study of the chemical constituents of this plant. The phytochemical study of the bark involved a preliminary phytochemical screening and a detailed phytochemical study of its various extracts (water, ethanol and petroleum ether) for isolation and characterisation of the major constituents. Some of the constituents were also quantitativel}’ estimatedi The phytochemical examination of the bark revealed the presence of carbohydrates, simple phenolic compounds and sterols. Sucrose, gallic acid and a sterol (characterised as cholesterol) were isolated from the bark. Various pharmacological properties of the bark’s crude water extract were separately studied using isolated rabbit duodenum, guineapig ileum, rat uterus and frog rectus abdominis. Acute toxicity of its water extract was also investigated, In addition, the water extract of the bark was also tested for its antimicrobial activity. The crude water extract of the bark contracted the smooth muscles of rabbit duodenum, guineapig ileum and rat uterus,. It also contracted the skeletal muscles of the frog rectus abdominis. The median lethal dose (intraperitoneal) of the water extract of the bark was 1.44g/kg. The isolated cholesterol sample and the pure cholesterol sample relaxed the smooth muscles of rabbit duodenum only and did not produce any significant effects on any other tissues. However, the similar behaviour of these two cholesterol sampler provided additional support to the phytochemical identity of the isolated sterol as cholesterol. The microbiological studies indicated that the water extract of the bark has a wide antimicrobial activity against both gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. All these results have been reported and discussed in this thesis in relation to the traditional uses of the bark. In conclusion it has been derived that these findings offer a rational basis for the use of the bark bytraditional healers for treating gastrointestinal diseases and microbial infections.

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE BARK OF SCLEROCARYA BIRREA (A. RICH,) HOCHST.

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