Isolation and characterization of bioactive phytochemicals from chloroform extract of Adenodolichos paniculatus (hua) Hutch. & Dalz (Fabaceae)

Abstract

Phytochemicals are the chemicals extracted from plants which make them significant source of drugs with potential for thousands of years. Adenodolichos paniculatus have been observed to have some medicinal applications. The aim of this work was to isolate and characterize some bioactive phytochemicals from the chloroform root extract of A. paniculatus which may justify its use by traditional healers. A. paniculatus roots were collected, identified, dried and pulverized. The pulverized plant material was subjected to serial exhaustive extraction using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol and water. Vacuum liquid chromatography of the chloroform root extract led to a number of fractions. TLC analysis was used to study the different fractions. This isolation and purification afforded a dark orange liquid which was subjected to physical spectroscopic identification using IR and GC-MS. The major phytochemicals identified were 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (linoleic acid), undecanoic acid, 10-bromo-(10-bromoudecanoic acid), octadecanoic acid (stearic acid) and n-hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid). These findings support the traditional use of Adenodolichos paniculatus in various diseases treatments specifically sore throat infections.