Elemental Composition and Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous Leaf Extract and Stem Bark Extract of Crateva adansoni

Objective: To investigate the elemental and Phytochemical components of aqueous extracts of the leaves and stem bark of Crateva adansonii.

Methods: The elemental analysis was done using atomic absorption analysis with Perkin Elmer Analyst atomic flame spectrophotometer (FAAS) 400 models, India. Carbohydrate, anthraquinone, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phlobatanins were determined using known standard methods.

Results: The phytochemical studies revealed the presence of saponins and flavanoids in both the leaf and stem bark extracts. Tannins, alkaloids, steroids and terpenoids were present only in the leaf extracts, while carbohydrate was found only in the stem bark extracts. Anthraquinone and phlobatanins were absent in both the leaf and stem bark extract. The anions and cations detected include sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu2+), zinc (Zn2+) iron (Fe2+), lead (Pb2+), cobalt (Co2+), lithium (Li+), chloride (Cl-) and sulphate (SO42-) ions, suggesting that the plant contains pharmacologically active ingredients as well as metal cations found important in antioxidative stress roles. The results gotten from elemental analysis were subjected to statistical analysis using students “T”-test statistical method at P<0.05 level of significance to find out which of the extracts that contained higher concentrations of the above elements (cations and anions). The statistical software used is IBM SPSS statistic version 21. Statistical analysis done showed that sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and phosphorous ions were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the stem bark extract compared to the leaf extract. Calcium, magnesium and manganese were significantly higher in the leaf extracts than in the stem extracts.

Conclusion: The results show that Crateva adansonii contains microelements which include Zn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn, Cu2+, CL-, SO42- and phytochemical constituents which include alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroids, flavonoids and terpenoids. The plants therefore may have some therapeutic values.