జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ ఎన్విరాన్‌మెంటల్ అనలిటికల్ కెమిస్ట్రీ

Phytochemical Screening and Medicinal Potentials of the Bark of Dacryodes edulis (G. Don) HJ Lam

Abstract

Ogboru RO, Okolie PL and Agboje I

The bark of Dacryodes edulis (G. Don) H.J Lam have been used over the years in rural communities across the tropical region for its medicinal potentials. Phytochemicals are bioactive constituents which are produced via secondary metabolism in relatively small amounts. To ascertain the phytochemical components responsible for the ethno-medicinal properties, a qualitative and quantitative screening of the bark of the tree was conducted. The phytochemical screening of the bark of Dacryodes edulis was sourced from benin city , south-south Nigeria revealed that alkaloids(18.13 mg/kg), Phenolic compounds (22.01 mg/kg), Flavenoids (60.91 mg/kg), Tannins (18.16 mg/kg), Saponins (3.16 mg/kg), Anthraquinones (12.16 mg/kg), Cardiac glycosides (0.81 mg/kg) and steroids (0.91 mg/kg) were significantly present in the sample. The presence of these phytochemicals gives credence to the medicinal benefits that the bark of this plant has been used for in the past years.