Extraction and Characterisation of Steroidal Compounds from Gmelina arborea Stem Bark for Pharmaceutical Applications

Abstract

Medicinal plants have remained a source of therapeutic agents in nature till date. There has been increasing concern in the use of some existing drugs due to their side effects, resistance and other shortcomings, hence the need for new drugs with better therapeutic properties. In order to contribute to the quest for novel medicines, this research sought to isolate, characterise, and identify putative therapeutic mediators from the stem bark of Gmelina arborea. Using a Soxhlet device, the powdered stem bark was extracted with hexane and ethyl acetate. On a silica gel column, the extracts were separated, and increasing concentrations of hexane in ethyl acetate were used to elute them. 40 fractions were produced after TLC analysis, and five combined fractions were created based on their characteristics (8 fractions to one) and coded PHE 001,002,003,004 and 005 respectively. The five fractions were analyzed by NMR (1D and 2D) to confirm the structures of their constituents. The result showed that PHE-004 was confirmed as mixtures steroidal compounds (stigmasterol and sitosterol)). The spectroscopic characterization of fraction PHE-004 reveals a chemical shift of the 1H-NMR ranging from 0-80-5.36 ppm and 13C-NMR ranging from 12.02-146.93 ppm. Melting point of 131-1330C and Rf value of 0.53. The results shows that the plant has some pharmaceutical potentials and the stem bark extract could serve as an entrepreneurial tool for trado-medical practitioners to justify its traditional medical claims.