PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, QUALITATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, IN-VITRO ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIALS OF THAUMATOCOCCUS DANIELII EXTRACTS (ALL EXTRACTS)
Abstract
Plants are the major sources of vitamins, minerals and bioactive components such as proximate and phytochemicals that help in reducing the risk of diseases. The study investigated proximate composition, qualitative phytochemical screening, in-vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of Thaumatococcus daniellii leaf. The experimental procedure involved collection of the leaf of the plant, authenticating the samples and drying under shade to facilitate pulverization and extraction was done using methanol, n-hexane, aqueous and ethyl acetate as solvents. Result of proximate analysis indicates that Thaumatococcus daniellii leaf contains 21.5 % ash, 4.2 % moisture, 0.67 % protein, 14.5 % fat, 5.0 % fibre and 54.2 % carbohydrate. This study indicated that Thaumatococcus daniellii leaves possessed phytochemicals such as saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenol and tannins, with potential antioxidant activity. The percentage in-vitro hydrogen peroxide, ferric reducing antioxidant power, nitric oxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of the standard antioxidant (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) and that of the methanolic, n-hexane, aqueous and ethyl acetate leaf extracts of T. danielii at all study concentrations are comparable. The total antioxidant activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power of methanolic, n-hexane, aqueous and ethyl acetate leaf extracts of T. danielii and that of the standard antioxidant are comparable. The ethyl acetate and methanolic leaf extracts of Thaumatococcus daniellii contained higher antioxidant compounds than the n-hexane and aqueous fractions of T. daniellii leaves. The antimicrobial analysis showed that ethyl acetate and methanolic leaf extracts of T. daniellii inhibits the growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, the n-hexane and aqueous fractions of T. daniellii leaves have been shown in this study to lack antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecium and therefore cannot be used in the management of ailments caused by these organisms.
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