Falodun A, Owolabi O J and Aigbogun OO
Keywords: Pyrenacantha staudtii, extract, ileum, chromatography.
Abstract: Pyrenacantha staudtii (Hutch and Dalz), Icacinaceae is a medicinal plant used in trado – medical practice for the treatment of dysmenorrheal and gastrointestinal disorders. The leaf extract is also used in ethno - medicine for the treatment of threatened abortion. The present study aimed at assessing the scientific evaluation of the ethnomedicinal claim on isolated guinea pig ileum suspended in an organ bath containing a physiological salt solution of Tyrode solution at a pH of 7.35, and also to investigate the phytochemical constituents and quantitative parameters like the moisture content, ash value, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash and extractive values such as alcohol and water extractives which can be used in the identification of the leaf of P. staudtii. The crude extract of the plant was subjected to thin layer and vacuum liquid chromatography with different solvent systems. The phytochemical evaluation revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins and saponins in the leaves of P. staudtii. The proximate analysis gave 5.40 ± 0.02 % as the moisture content, 5.25 ± 0.01 % as ash value, 2.58 ± 0.13 % as acid insoluble ash and 3.25 ± 0.08 % as water soluble ash value. The alcohol and water extractives of 7.20 ± 0.04 % and 8.10 ± 0.13 % respectively were obtained. The thin layer chromatography profile of the fractionated crude extract indicated the presence of compounds with different Rf values. The pharmacological evaluation revealed a very significant (P<0.05) inhibitory effect of the extract on histamine and acetylcholine induced ileum contractions. The relaxation of the guinea ileum by the extract, has justified the claims for which the plant is known and used.
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