PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE EXTRACT OF THE BARK OF COMMIPHORA AFRICANA (A. Rich) ENGL. (FAMILY: BURSERACEAE)
PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE EXTRACT OF THE BARK OF COMMIPHORA AFRICANA (A. Rich) ENGL. (FAMILY: BURSERACEAE)
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Date
1999-01
Authors
EKARIKA, CLEMENT JOHNSON
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Abstract
Commiphora africana (A. Rich) Engl. (Family: Burseraceae) is a bushy
shrub or small tree found mainly in the savannah woodland and driert parts of
tropical Africa. The bark and the leaves are used in traditional medicine as a
remedy for stomach pains dysentery, snake and scorpion bites as well as a
source of gum resins.
The methanolic extract of the bark of the plant gave a homogenous
product through chromotographic separation which after crystallization from
methanol furnished a needle, mp. 142 - 143°C, characterized as
dimethylterepthalate (Benzene - 1 , 4- dicarboxylic acid dimethylester), C10H1004
(M + , 194), on the basis of spectral analysis (UV, IR, NMR, Mass) and
comparison with the synthetic dimethylester prepared from terephthalic acid.
The pharmacological screening of the crude aqueous extract of the plant
(bark) showed a dose - dependent relaxation of the isolated rabbit ileum and
antagonized the action of acetylcholine on the same tissue in the same manner
like atropine. This justified the use of the plant for stomach pains and dysentery
in traditional medicine. The pharmacological test on uterus revealed that the
aqueous extract lacked agonistic or antagonistic action on the isolated rabbit
uterus. However it caused a dose - dependent suppressing action on the rate
and the amplitude of the beat of the isolated rabbit heart, a typical B -
adrenergic antagonistic effect resembling those potentiated by propranolol. This
also confirmed the basis for the use of the plant to treat heart related problems
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO
UNIVERSITY, ZARIA,
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE
AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF
SCIENCE,
(PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY)
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY,
FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA.
JANUARY 1999.
Keywords
PHYTOCHEMICAL,, PHARMACOLOGICAL,, EXTRACT,, BARK,, COMMIPHORA AFRICANA (A. Rich) ENGL., (FAMILY: BURSERACEAE)