African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2298

Full Length Research Paper

Antibacterial constituents of the leaves of Dacryodes edulis

Kola K. Ajibesin1*, Etienne E. Essien2 and Saburi A. Adesanya3
1Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. 2Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria. 3Department of Pharmacognosy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 05 October 2011
  •  Published: 22 October 2011

Abstract

Dacryodes edulis is a dioecious, small to medium-sized tree, reaching 20 to 25 m high. Different parts of the plant are used to treat many diseases including skin infections, digestive tract disorder and dysentery. The leaves were macerated in 50% ethanol and the liquid extract concentrated to dryness. The dry extract was evaluated for antibacterial activity by using agar diffusion method. The extract was partitioned between water, ethyl acetate and butanol successively and further subjected to antibacterial testing. The most active fraction, ethyl acetate fraction, was purified through various chromatographic methods to obtain pure compounds identified by spectroscopic methods as ethylgallate and quercitrin. These compounds gave good antibacterial effects, while the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the fractions and the pure compounds ranged between 12.5 and 250 µg/ml. These phenolic compounds are reported for the first time in this plant.

 

Key word: Dacryodes edulis, antibacterial activity, ethylgallate, quercitrin.