ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BETA –SITOSTEROL FROM THE ETHYL ACETATE EXTRACT FRACTION OF DRIED LEAVES OF SARCOCEPHALUS LATIFOLIUS
*Olaji E.D., Edema M.O., A.P. Oviawe, Iyekowa O., Yakubu A. F. and Olaji C.O.
ABSTRACT
Background: Local fish farmers use the leaves of Sarcocephalus latifolius in rural areas of Southern Nigeria for the treatment of microbial infections of fishes. The plant has diverse folk medicinal uses in traditional medicine, however the main focus of this work is to isolate and spectroscopically characterize the bioactive constituents of the dried leaves of the plant. Sarcocephalus latifolius. Method: The air dried leaves were pulverized to powder and extraction was maintained in soxhlet extractor using methanol solvent. The crude extract was further fractionated using varying solvents of n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate using vacuum liquid chromatography(VLC). The most sensitive fraction (ethyl acetate) based on the antibacterial sensitivity test was subjected to column chromatography and thin layer chromatography. Results: From antibacterial activity, a significant zone of inhibitions at 14mm and 20 mm were recorded against E. coli and P.aeruginosa when compared with the standard drug, tetracycline at 20 mm and 28 mm respectively. A positive test was indicated for the presence of steroid and a white powder compound was isolated which was characterized using combined spectroscopic techniques such as UV, FT-IR, 1HNMR and 13CNMR.The proposed compound was β-sitosterol, a steroid molecule with pharmacological significance in medicine.
Keywords: Sarcocephalus latifolius, steroids, Antimicrobial, ?-sitosterol.
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