PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF THE ROOT, LEAVES, FLOWERS AND LATEX JUICE OF Calotropis Procera

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF THE ROOT, LEAVES, FLOWERS AND LATEX JUICE OF Calotropis Procera

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                       INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Plant derived substances have obtained greater attention in the recent years to prevent and cure human diseases as they are considered to be more biofriendly. It is generally estimated that over 6000 plants in Africa are in use in traditional folk and herbal medicine, representing about 75% of the medicinal needs of the third world countries (Veerachari and Bopaiah, 2011). According to Okoli et al (2007), traditional society in Africa has always used herbs to promote healing. A large body of evidence has accumulated to demonstrate the promising potentials of medicinal plants used in various traditional, complementary and alternate systems of treatments of human diseases (Alam, 2008).

The World Health Organisation in 1991 estimated that 70% of population from many countries are using traditional medicine to cure various ailments. Therefore, the useful products obtained from plants directly or indirectly, demonstrate their importance to man. Plants serve as a source of food (Katsayal et al., 2004; Kawo, 2007), medicinal product (Kawo et al., 2009), energy (Kawo, 2010) and shelter to man and his livestock (Ogunkunle and Oladele, 2004). Calotropis Procera is a weed plant commonly known as “apple of Sodom”. The plant belongs to Apocynaceae family which includes latex bearing plants. It is a small to medium-sized shrub, up to 5.5 m high and occasionally branchless to a height of 2.5 m. The bark is fibrous, scaly, deeply fissured when old, grey to light brown. All parts of the plant exude white latex when cut or broken. It is locally known as ‘tumfafiya’ in Hausa, its other local names are madar, akanda and arks (Noatay, 2005). The Yorubas of western Nigeria call it ‘Bomubomu’ and the Kanuri of northwestern Nigeria know it as ‘Kayou’. It is a plant of the dry savanna and other arid areas, mostly anthropogene occurring around villages (Aliyu, 2006). The only two species of this genus are Calotropis gigantea and Calotropis Procera. The main difference between the two is that while Calotropis gigantea has white flowers, Calotropis Procera has pinkish white flowers (Noatay, 2005).

 In the last few decades, Calotropis Procera is extensively studied for its medicinal properties by advanced scientific techniques and a variety of bioactive compounds have been isolated from the different parts of the plant and were analyzed pharmacologically. The plant is reported for analgesic activity, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, anti-pyretic activity, insecticidal activity, cytotoxicity activity, hepatoprotective activity, pregnancy interceptive properties, purgative properties, procoagulant activity and wound healing activity. The medicinal properties of this plant represent it as a valuable source of medicinal compound (Kumar et al. 2016).

Different parts of Calotropis Procera have been reported to exhibit ethnomedicinal and nutritional properties. In addition, preparations from the latex with honey are used as antibodies and also in the treatment of toothaches and cough (Aworh et al., 2004). The leaf extract, chopped leaf and latex of Calotropis Procera have shown great promise as both in-vivo and invitro nematicides (Anver and Alam, 2012). Awune and Debray (2000) have earlier reported that though the leaf of Calotropis Procera is not known to be eaten by man as food, it is however taken as purgative and diuretic in Ivory Coast.

1.2       Statement of Problem

Calotropis Procera is a plant which is considered as a traditional means of curing or treating some ailments such as fever, rheumatism, indigestion, cold, eczema and diarrhoea but there has not been enough analysis on its phytochemical and proximate constituents in order to ascertain if it can be used for development of drugs as it is not taken as food into the body. This study therefore, will bring about knowledge on its chemical constituents as well as other chemical benefits to enable good use of the plant.

1.3       Aim and Objectives

The aim of this research work is to carry out phytochemical screening and proximate analysis of the root, leaves, flowers and latex juice of Calotropis Procera.

The Objectives are:

1. Extraction from the various parts of the plant.
2. To perform phytochemical screening on the various extracts of the plant.
3. To determine the proximate composition (moisture content, ash content, crude lipid, fat, protein and carbohydrate).
4. To compare the parts statistically.

 1.5      Significance of the Study

This study is important because, its knowledge will give enough information on what the plant contains and possibly serve as a medium for production of medicinal products using the plant as a raw material.

1.6       Scope of the Study

This research work focuses on the phytochemical (flavonoids, anthocyanidins, steroids, saponins, anthraquinones, tannins, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids) and proximate analysis of flower latex juice, leaves and root of calotropis Procera plant.