PIIYTOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON COMMIPHORA AFRICANA (BURSERACEAE) ROOT

45 PAGES (8188 WORDS) Chemistry Thesis

The ethanolic extract (crude extract) was successively extracted with hexane, chloroform, water, 103 aqueous methanol and n_hexane to give the corresponding fractions. The crude exfract, 103 "aqueous methanol, vvater soluble and n-hexane fractions of the root of .c_.africana, were screened for antimicrobial activity and chemical constituents. The n-hexane fraction was chromatographed on a column of silica gel to give a number of fairly pure components. The infrared spectra of the components indicated the presence of hydroxyl, esters, carboxylic and aromatic functional groups. The root Vas found to be active against Staphvlococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Bacillus subtilis. The components were also found to be active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.