PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL STUDIES OF Combretum glutinosum STEM BARK

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the methanol extract of Combretum glutinosum for its phytochemical contents and antitussive potential. Powdered Combretum glutinosum was cold macerated with 80% methanol to obtain crude methanol extract of C. glutinosum stem bark, coded (M). Qualitative screening of the crude methanol extract (M) revealed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, steroidal compounds, tannins, alkaloids and reducing sugars and absence of anthaquinones. Quantitative screening of the crude methanol extract (M) also confirm that the plant is rich in polar constituents, such as saponins (606.072 ± 1.471)>>>>flavoniods (561.794 ± 1.419) >>>tannins (102.746 ± 0.561)>>alkaloids (45.762 ± 0.118) mg/100g. The total (crude) saponins content of the crude methanol extract (M) was extracted using diethylether. Acid hydrolysis of total crude saponins was carried out and the sapogenin fraction was chromatographed on silica gel column using hexane: chloroform (100:0 to 0:100) to obtain major subfractions (coded Mss1 - Mss4). The total crude alkaloid was extracted from crude methanol extract (M) by defating with hexane to yield an acidic and a lipophillic portion. The acidic portion was further basified and re-extracted with chloroform to yield chloroform soluble portion (crude alkaloids), coded MA, which was purified through preparative thin layer chromatography. GC-MS analysis of Mss1-Mss4 revealed triterpenoidal and steroidal compounds, GC - MS of MA1 revealed Pyrolidine alkaliods, Alkaloidial amine, and Piperidines alkaloids, GC - MS of MH revealed alkane, alcohols, esters, organometallic compound and dichlorobenzene. The antitussive activity of Methanol extract (M), ethyl acetate fraction (ME), butanol fraction (MB), and residual fraction (MR) of C. glutinosum stem bark on selected microorganism, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, E. Coli showed activity against the isolate with zones of inhibition ranging from 15.00±0.83- 29.00±1.40.The antibacterial potential of Combretum glutinosum justifies its usage in the treatment of cough