ABSTRACT

 

Piliostigmathonningii is one of the African plants with numerous medicinal values in ethnomedicine. It belongs to the family of Fabaceae and can be used for treating ailments like loose stooling in teething children, wound dressing, ulcer treatment, worms’ infestation, hemorrhoids, inflammations, bacterial infections, gonorrhea, stomach ache and headache. This study probed the chemical constituents and antimicrobial properties of the leaf and seed of P. thonningii. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the leaf and seed extracts of the plant showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenes, steroids, glycosides, and phenols.The quantitative aspect of the leaf showed that the alkaloid content was 15.5 %, tannins 10.2 %, saponins 9.6 %, flavonoids 4.3 %, terpenes 15.2 %, steroids 16.9 % and Phenols 12.9 %. The seed contained alkaloid 6.2%, tannins 4.2 %, saponins 4.8 %, flavonoids 2.5 %, terpenes 15.9 %, steroids 13.3 % and phenols 7.9 %. The vitamins detected in the leaf included Beta-carotene (10.428±0.000 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (13.432±0.020 mg/100g), riboflavin (3.412±0.035 mg/100g), niacin (0.941±0.000 mg/100g), thiamin (2.424±0.002 mg/100g) while that of the seed included Beta-carotene (5.349±0.013 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (8.4±0.040 mg/100g), riboflavin (0.640±0.000 mg/100g), niacin (0.0131±0.000 mg/100g) and thiamin (0.431±0.0031 mg/100g). The mineral compositions detected in the leaf included calcium (2413.02±0.001 mg/100g), magnesium (908±0.003 mg/100g), potassium (1103.04±0.023 mg/100g), sodium (53.01±0.018 mg/100g), phosphorus (46.24±0.000 mg/100g), nitrogen (1842.03±0.002 mg/100g), iron (16.31±0.000 mg/100g), zinc (0.243±0.001 mg/100g) and copper (0.001±0.000 mg/100g), while that of the seed included calcium (2010.34±0.006 mg/100g), magnesium (728.84±0.023 mg/100g), potassium (1004.02±0.011 mg/100g), sodium (38.03±0.061 mg/100g), phosphorus (20.02±0.001 mg/100g), nitrogen (785.01±0.003 mg/100g), iron (2.02±0.001 mg/100g), zinc (0.01±0.000 mg/100g) and copper (0.01±0.000 mg/100g). The GC-MS results of the chloroform extract of the leaf at different retention times showed a promising result of 17 probable structures with 14 of them, having medicinal values. In the same vein, the seed showed 9 probable structures with 7 of them having medicinal values. The antimicrobial activities of the chloroform extract of the leaf and seed were studied using hospital isolates of five pathogenic microorganisms. Its activity at a varying concentrations of 150 mg/ml, 75 mg/ml, 50mg/ml, 25 mg/ml, 12.5 mg/ml and 6.25 mg/ml was investigated againstS.aereus, B. cereus, E. coli, S. typhiand P.aeruginosa using agar well diffusion method. The result showed that the extract of the leaf exhibited activity against three micro-organisms in a concentration-dependent pattern, with the highest growth inhibition seen in S. aereus and the lowest growth in S. typhi with MIC of 25 mg/ml and 75 mg/ml respectively while the seed showed inhibition activity against two microorganisms in a concentration-dependent manner, with the highest growth inhibition seen in S. aereus and the lowest growth in E. coli with MIC of 50 mg/ml and 75 mg/ml respectively. The result of this research work revealed that P. thonningii has a lot of phytochemicals which might be responsible for its therapeutic potentials in ethnomedicine. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Title Page                                                                                                                                i

Declaration                                                                                                                              ii

Certification                                                                                                                            iii

Dedication                                                                                                                              iv

Acknowledgement                                                                                                                  v

Table of Content                                                                                                                     vi

List of Tables                                                                                                                          ix

List of Plates                                                                                                                           x

Abstract                                                                                                                                  xi

 

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study                                                                                               1

1.2   Statement of the Problem                                                                                               3

1.3   Scope of the Study                                                                                                         3

1.4   Justification of Research                                                                                                 4

1.5   Aim and Objectives                                                                                                        4

 

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1       Origin and geographical distribution of piliostigmathonningii                                   5

2.2       Botanical Classification                                                                                              5

2.3       Description of the Plant                                                                                              6

2.4       Economic and cultural values of P. Thonningii                                                          10

2.5       The Family ‘Fabaceae’                                                                                               10

2.6       Phytochemicals                                                                                                           11

2.6.1.   Phenols                                                                                                                        11

2.6.2    Saponins                                                                                                                      12

2.6.3.   Steroids                                                                                                                       13

2.6.4    Tannins                                                                                                                        14

2.6.5    Flavonoids                                                                                                                  15

2.6.6        Some of the compounds isolated from p.thonningi are as follows.                            16

2.8    Ethnomedical uses of PiliostigmaThonningii                                                    19

2.9       Pharmacological activities Of Piliostigmathonningii                                      21

2.9.1    Anti-malaria activity of P.thonningii                                                                         21

2.9.2     Anti-Ulcer potential of piliostigmathonningii                                                            21

2.9.3      Piliostigmathonningii as a Remedy to Cardiovascular Complications and Associated Conditions                                                                                                               22

2.9.4    Anti-diabetic Property of Piliostigmathonningii                                                         22

2.9.5    Anti-bacterial Activity of the Leaf Extract of Piliostigmathonningii             22

2.10     Mass spectrometry                                                                                                      23

2.11     Gas chromatography                                                                                                   23

2.12     Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry                                                                    24

 

CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1       Sample Collection and Identification                                                                         26

3.2       Sample Preparation                                                                                                     26

3.3       Sample Extraction                                                                                                       26

3.4       Qualitative Phytochemical Analysis                                                                           27

3.4.1   Test for alkaloids (Mayer’s test)                                                                                 28

3.4.2   Test for tannins                                                                                                           28

3.4.3   Test for saponins                                                                                                         28

3.4.4    Test for flavonoids                                                                                                      28

3.4.5    Tests for steroids and terpenoids (Liebermann-Burchard test)                                  29

3.4.6    Test for glycosides (Kella-Killian's test)                                                                     29

3.5       Quantitative phytochemical analysis                                                                          29

3.5.1    Determination of Alkaloids                                                                                        29

3.4.2.  Determination of flavonoids                                                                                       30

3.4.3   Determination of Phenols                                                                                           21

3.4.4   Determination of saponins                                                                                          32

3.4.4   Determination of tannins                                                                                            32

3.4.6   Determination of Terpenes                                                                                         33

3.4.7    Determination of Steroids                                                                                          34

3.5      Determination of Vitamin content                                                                              35

3.5.1    Determination of ascorbic acid                                                                                   35

3.5.2    Determination of niacin                                                                                              36

3.5.3    Determination of riboflavin                                                                                        37

3.5.4    Determination of thiamin                                                                                            37

3.5.5    Determination of β-carotene                                                                                       38

3.6       Determination of mineral content                                                                               38

3.6.1    Determination of nitrogen content                                                                             38

3.7       GC/MS Analysis

3.8       Antimicrobial screening of piliostigmathonningii leaf and seed chloroform extract 40

3.8.1    Obtaining and confirming the test organism                                                              40

3.8.2    Anti-bacterial susceptibility test                                                                                 41

3.8.3    Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)                                      41

 

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1       Phytochemical screening results                                                                                 44

4.2       Vitamin content results                                                                                               48

4.3       Mineral content results                                                                                                50

4.4       GC/MS results

4.5       Antimicrobial assay results                                                                                         58

 

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1       Conclusion                                                                                                                  62

5.2       Recommendations                                                                                                      62

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

 

 

LIST OF TABLES

4.1   Qualitative phytochemical screening of chloroform leaves extract of P. thonningii      44

4.2   Qualitative phytochemical screening of chloroform Seed extract of P. thonningii       45

4.3   Quantitative phytochemical screenings of chloroform leave extract of P.thonningii     45       

4.4   Quantitative phytochemical screenings of chloroform seed extract of P.thonningii      46       

4.5 Quantitative determination of vitamin content of P. thonningii leaf extract                   47

4.6   Quantitative determination of vitamin content of P. thonningii Seed extract               48

4.7   Quantitative determinations of mineral content of the leaves and seeds of

P.thonningii                                                                                                                             49       

4.8   GCMS analysis Result on the chloroform Leaf extract of P.thonningii                         50

4.6 GCMS analysis Result on the chloroform Seed Extract of P.thonningii             50

4.8   Zones of growth inhibition at varying concentrations of chloroform extract of P. thonningiileaf against the test organism. Zones of inhibition                                                   51

4.9  Susceptibility test in mm on the standard drugs on the microorganisms             52

4.10   Zones of growth inhibition at varying concentrations of chloroform extract of P. thonningiiseed against test organism zones of inhibitions.                                                       53

4.11  Minimum inhibitory concentration of chloroform leaf extract of P.thonningii 54

4.12 Minimum inhibitory concentration of chloroform seed extract of P.thonningii 55

 

 

LIST OF PLATES

1: Whole plant of Piliostigmathonningii(https:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.thonningii)  7

2: Leaves of Piliostigmathonningii (https:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ P. thonningii)                    8

3: Fruit and seeds of Piliostigmathonningii (https:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P. thonningii)       9