Phytochemical screening and antimalaria activity of extracts from the stem bark of Adansonia digitata

Abstract

Medicinal plants play an important role in curing of various kind of diseases. Particularly in Africa, where nature provides tremendous reservoir of these natural products. If properly harness this could help greatly in the primary health care delivery system in Africa. The bark of Adansonia digitata was extracted with ethanol and screened for bioactivity against plasmodium falciperum. The crude ethanol extracts was macerated with 60% aqueous methanol and partitioned into petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous methanol extracts. Chloroform extract showed good activity on the test organism with 67% mortality. The results indicated that the extracts contained an active compound(s) which have anti-malaria property. Phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of Tannins, steroids, saponins, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides and flavonoids.