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Tuberculosis is a multi-systematic disease with myriad presentations and manifestations and is the most common cause of infectious disease-related mortality worldwide. The disease is treated with the roasted cotyledonous part of Chrysophyllum albidum seeds by traditional practitioners in Ogun state, Nigeria. The phytoconstituents of the hexane fraction and the hexane extracts of the roasted seeds at 50o C, 100o C and 120o C were investigated using GC-MS analysis. The results showed the hexane fraction of the raw seeds contained 92.71 % by proportion of esters of long chain fatty acids. The hexane extract of roasted seeds (50o C) contained 68.69 % of long chain fatty acids, hexane extract of roasted seeds (100o C) contained74.54 % while the hexane extract of roasted seeds (120oC) contained 91.65 %.The traditional method of application of roasted seeds instead of raw seeds in treating tuberculosis enhances the availability of free fatty acids. The main fatty acids content at 120o C are Hexadecanoic acid and 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid. Fatty acids had been reported to be toxic to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thus the efficacy of the treating of tuberculosis with the roasted seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum is due to the presence of hexadecanoic acid and 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid which could work together or work synergistically with other antimicrobial effectors to bring about macrophage-mediated killing of the pathogen.

Tuberculosis is a contagious airborne infection that mostly affects the lungs. The causative agent of tuberculosis in human is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The emergence and dissemination of M. tuberculosis isolates that are resistant to multiple antimicrobial drugs represent a growing public health threat. Fractions from Alafia barteri, Chasmanthera dependence, Chrysophyllum albidum, Emilia coccinea, Mezoneuron benthamianum, Phyllanthus muellerianus, Secamoni afzeli, Senna alata, Xylopia aethiopica and Acalypha fimbriata were screened for activity against drug susceptible M. tuberculosis H 37 Rv and the local isolates using proportion and nitrate reduction methods. The organisms used were M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain and the local isolates from TB patients. The standard antitubercular drugs used were isoniazid and rifampicin. No fractions from A. barterii, C. dependens, E. coccinea, S. afzeli, S. alata and X. aethiopica showed sensitivity against the M. tuberculosis strains. The hexane fraction of C. albidum, butanol fraction of M. benthamianum, ethyl acetate fraction of P. muellerianus and ethyl acetate fraction of A. fimbriata showed sensitivity with minimum inhibition concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. The ethylacetate and hexane fractions of M. benthamianum together with hexane fraction of P. muellerianus showed sensitivity with MIC value of 1.25 mg/ml. The highest MIC value of 2.5 mg/ml was obtained from hexane fraction of A. fimbriata. Thus, C. albidum, M. benthamianum, P. muellerianus and A. fimbriata possessed antimycobacterium tuberculosis activity and further research work would be required to assess possible antitubercular agents present in the four medicinal plants.

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Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening of Chrysophyllum albidum, Mezoneuron benthamianum, Phyllanthus muellerianus and Acalypha fimbriata. All the four plants contained alkaloids, tannin and flavonoids. Steroids and anthraquinone were present in C. albidum, M. benthamianum, A. fimbriata. Saponin was present in C. albidum, M. benthamianum and P. muellerianus. Terpenoids were found in C. albidum and A. fimbriata. Cardiac glycosides was present in C. albidum, P. muellerianus and A. fimbriata. The antioxidant activities of the plants were evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging activity, Nitric oxide scavenging activity and Reducing power activity. Chrysophyllum albidum had the lowest calculated IC 50 for DPPH and NO assessment, 0.913 mg/ml and 117.818 µg/ml respectively. C. albidum also showed the highest value of total antioxidant capacity, 70.36. Acalypha fimbriata had the lowest IC 50 for Reducing power potential,11.007 µg/ml but a total antioxidant capacity of 48.9. The Iron II chelation ability of the plants were dose dependent with Acalypha fimbriata showing the closest potential to the standard EDTA and Chrysophyllum albidum showing the least potential. The research has shown that the phytoconstituents and the antioxidant properties of these medicinal plants would be responsible for the therapeutic claims of the plants.