A study on Cymbopogon citratus resulted in the isolatioiz of P-Sitosterol, Hexaconsanol and Triacontanol from the light petroleum extract. From the basic fraction, an alkaloid was isolated while the neutral fraction yielded a saponin glucoside, the aglycone of which is thought to be fucosterol or a closely related compound.
The stem bark of Dracaena manni BAKER was extracted with light petroleum (40-60° C), chloroform and ethanol successively. The solids from both the light petroleum and ethanol fraction showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Palrnitic acid, an unidentified gummy material and heptacosane were found in the petroleum ether fraction whilst the ethanolic fraction consisted mainly o f a~nmonizt?n nitrate.
An ethnobotanical survey revealed that the dried fallen leaves of Terminalia catappa Linn. are used locally in various parts of Nigeria for the management of sickle cell anaemia. This research investigated if Terminalia catappa leaf interferes with the basic mechanism of erythrocyte sickling. Powdered dried fallen leaves of Terminalia catappa was extracted with 90% methanol by maceration. Bioactivity of the extract was studied by investigating its effect on inhibition of erythrocyte sickling (membrane effect).Bioactivity guided fractionation showed that the highest antisickling activity in the erythrocyte -1 sickling model resided in its triterpenoids components (fraction F3, K = 0.0037 min ). This fraction drastically reduced the rate of erythrocyte sickling and is very significantly more active than the control (P<0.001). Bioactivity guided separation of the extract was carried out on flash chromatography using RP18 and Silica gel stationary phases respectively. Final separation was done by HPLC on Cyanosilica column. Structural elucidation of bioactive compounds was carried out by Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). The most active compounds were established to be two triterpenic acids (1) 2á, 3â ,24 -Trihydroxyurs -12 -en -28 -oic acid and (2) 2á, 3â, 24 -trihydroxy -12, 20 (30) -ursandien -28 -oic acid. This work therefore shows that there is a scientific basis for the application of this extract in the management of sickle cell anaemia in traditional medicine.
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