Project Materials

PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF THE HEXANE EXTRACT OF CEIBA PENTANDRA PLANT (TOTORO LEAVES)

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Plants have been used medicinally for ages, and they remain a significant part of traditional medicine in many communities across the world. Plants contain a wide range of bioactive molecules, including phytochemicals, which have been demonstrated to have a variety of medicinal effects. Plant phytochemicals can be harvested and used to create new medications or alternative treatments for a variety of ailments.

Ceiba pentandra, often known as the kapok tree, has a long history of usage in herbal therapy. The tree is endemic to tropical regions and can be found in several countries, including West Africa, South Asia, and South America.

Traditional medicine uses various components of the plant, including the leaves, bark, and roots, to cure a variety of diseases, including fever, malaria, and gastrointestinal issues (Osoniyi and Onifade, 2003).

Recent research has concentrated on the phytochemical contents of Ceiba pentandra, particularly the plant’s leaves. Several research have looked into the chemical makeup of the plant’s leaves and their potential medicinal properties.

In this study, we concentrated on the hexane extract of Ceiba pentandra leaves and employed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyse its phytochemical contents.

Hexane is a non-polar solvent used to extract lipophilic chemicals from plants. Hexane has been demonstrated to be an excellent solvent for extracting fatty acids, sterols, and terpenoids (Rao & Ravishankar, 2002). In this study, we used hexane as an extraction solvent to separate the lipophilic chemicals found in Ceiba pentandra leaves.

The purpose of this study was to discover and analyse the phytochemical elements of the hexane extract of Ceiba pentandra leaves, as well as to assess their potential pharmacological activity.

The discovery of bioactive chemicals in Ceiba pentandra could lead to the development of novel pharmaceuticals or alternative remedies for a variety of ailments.

Ceiba pentandra has been widely researched for its phytochemical components and pharmacological properties. The plant includes numerous bioactive components, including flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and alkaloids (Kakkar et al., 2012).

Several research have looked into the chemical content of the plant’s leaves, bark, and seeds, with a particular emphasis on their possible therapeutic use.

Nwokocha et al. (2011) studied the antidiabetic properties of Ceiba pentandra leaves in rats. The researchers discovered that the aqueous extract of the leaves dramatically lowered blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. The authors attributed this effect to the plant’s flavonoids and other phytochemicals.

Another study by Osoniyi and Onifade (2003) looked into the antibacterial properties of Ceiba pentandra bark extract. The study discovered that the extract has strong antibacterial activity against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

The scientists hypothesised that the extract’s antibacterial action was due to the presence of tannins and other phytochemicals in the bark.

Several research have looked into the chemical makeup of Ceiba pentandra leaves. Ojo et al. (2018) studied the phytochemical contents of the leaves using various solvents.

The researchers discovered that the leaves included a variety of bioactive components, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins.

The authors proposed that the phytochemical contents of the leaves may be responsible for the plant’s traditional usage in herbal medicine. Adaramola et al. (2013) studied the antioxidant properties of Ceiba pentandra seeds.

The study discovered that the seeds’ methanolic extract showed high antioxidant activity, which was linked to the presence of phenolic chemicals in the extract.

Another study by Nweze et al. (2015) looked at the antifungal properties of Ceiba pentandra bark extract. The study discovered that the extract showed substantial antifungal effectiveness against a variety of fungus species.

Despite multiple investigations on Ceiba pentandra’s pharmacological properties, further research is needed into the phytochemical contents of the plant’s leaves, particularly those that are lipophilic.

In this study, we concentrated on the hexane extract of Ceiba pentandra leaves and utilised GC-MS to analyse its phytochemical components.

GC-MS is an effective analytical technique for separating and identifying the constituents of complex mixtures, such as plant extracts. The procedure consists of separating the components of a