Phytochemistry and proximate composition of root, stem bark, leaf and fruit of desert date, Balanites aegyptiaca
Journal Title: UNKNOWN - Year 2018, Vol 7, Issue 6
Abstract
Balanites aegyptiaca or Desert date is a common plant in all dry lands of Africa and South Asia. Some parts of the plant are used as fish poisons but not poisonous to man. It is also used as medicine or food in humans as well as insect repellent. Four parts of the plant were phytochemically and proximately screened to determine whether the bioactive compounds can be utilized in sedation or anaesthetization of fish as well as supplementation of fish nutrition. The root, stem bark, leaf and fruit of the plant were screened using petroleum ether, methanol, chloroform ethanol and water as solvents. Proximate analysis to determine proximate composition of the parts of the plant was also conducted. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkanoids, flavonoids, tanins, saponins, terpens & steroids, cardiac glycosides, balsam, carbohydrates, phenols in the root and fruit. There was absence of alkanoids, flavonoids, balsam, and carbohydrates in the stem bark. The leaf confirmed the aforementioned phytochemicals except cardiac glycoside. The proximate analysis showed low percentage crude protein composition in all the plant parts [Leaf (22.94%), fruit (15.63%), root (12.81%) and stem (6.94%)]. Moisture content of the plant was also low with fruit having the highest (4.56%) and the leaf with the lowest (2.69%). The results of this work provide evidence that the bioactive compounds of the root, leaf and fruit could be utilized in sedation and anaesthetization of fish while the proximate composition was not suitable for supplementation in fish nutrition.
Authors and Affiliations
Audu Idi Wakawa, Audu Bala Sambo, Suleiman Yusuf
Baillonella toxisperma improves sexual performance and protects against stress-induced reproductive dysfunction in male Wistar rats
Baillonella toxisperma Pierre (Sapotaceae) is a medicinal plant widely used in Central Africa against several diseases including erectile dysfunction and male infertility. However, no study dealing with these male reprod...
Role of Dhoopan Karma and Gauradya Ghrita in the management of Dushta Vrana (infected wound)
Ayurveda is that which deals with good, bad, happy and unhappy life, its promoters and non-promoters, measurement and nature. Shalya Tantra is a specialized branch of Ayurveda in which Surgical, Medicinal and Parasurgica...
GC–MS study on ethanolic extract of Vetiveria lawsonii Root
The present study was focused to scrutinize the presence of phytoconstituents in the ethanolic extract of Vetiveria lawsonii root using GC-MS. The GC-MS analysis of Vetiveria lawsonii root was performed using Agilent 689...
Anti-diabetic effects of stem bark extract and fractions of Terminalia catappa Linn. (Combretaceae)
The pharmacognostic, toxicity and anti-diabetic profiles of stem bark of Terminalia catappa were evaluated. The plant material was subjected to macroscopy, microscopy and proximate analyses using standard methods. The pu...
Cytotoxic effect of Berberis libanotica roots extracts on human cancer cells and antioxidant activities
In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect and the antioxidant activity of methanolic and ethanolic roots extracts obtained from Berberis libanotica a Lebanese medicinal tree. Cytotoxic activity was assessed...