CHEMICAL PROFILING OF Adenium obesum (Forssk.) Roem. & Schult. STEM BARK EXTRACT AS A POTENTIAL ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUND FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Abstract

Plants contain compounds with medicinal properties that partake in the healing process and curing of human diseases due to the presence of phytochemical constituents. This study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical, antioxidant and HPLC characterization of Adenium obesum (Forssk.) stem bark. A. obesum stem bark was obtained, identified, fractionated and subjected to maceration method for the phytochemical screening, antioxidant assay and HPLC characterization of flavonoid and phenolic compounds in the A. obesum stem bark. Preliminary phytochemical screening methods, DPPH free radical method and HPLC method were used for the analysis. The qualitative phytochemical analysis showed presence of flavonoid, tannin, cardiac glycoside, phenolics and saponins in the stem bark, ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction. The quantitative screening of total phenol, total flavonoid, saponin and tannin was carried out. Hence, ethyl acetate fraction has the highest quantity of total phenol (72.2+7.1) and total flavonoid content (108+2.50).  The result of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant activity revealed that ethyl acetate fraction has the highest antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ 94.6+20.7) when compared with hexane, butanol and water fractions of the ethanolic extract. The result of HPLC characterization of the ethyl acetate fraction revealed the presence and concentrations of different flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Thus, this study concluded that A. obesum contain substances which make it useful for human health.