THE QUANTITATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF DICHLOROMETHANE AND HYDROMETHANOL FRACTIONS OF Detarium microcarpum STEM BARK EXTRACT.

ABSTRACT

Detarium microcarpum is a widely used medicinal plant that has been used traditionally to treat various ailments in the region of Africa. The plant has a series of pharmacological properties. Several experiments were carried out to aim at this study. The stem bark of Detarium microcarpum was cleaned and air-dried in the laboratory at room temperature. The stem bark extract was extracted using a methanol solvent. Thereafter, the extract was fractionated using petroleum ether, dichloromethane, and hydromethanol as solvents. The rotary evaporation process was carried out for the dichloromethane and the petroleum ether solvents to acquire the fractions. Furthermore, a freeze-drying process was applied to the hydromethanol solvent in order to get the needed fraction. Therefore, quantitative phytochemical analysis and in-vitro antioxidant was performed to determine the various key phytochemical concentrations, such as the total phenol content, the flavonoid content, tannin content, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and the diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). However, they were carried out using a spectrophotometry process at a specific absorbance to quantify these bioactive compounds. Results from the quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannin content, flavonoid content and phenol content in appreciable amount. In-vitro antioxidant analysis, showed that the plants fractions were able scavenge free radicals. These assays aid in managing oxidative stress-related diseases and the spread of free radicals in the body. The results of this investigation offer empirical support for the customary application of D. microcarpum in African herbal medicine.