Phytochemical Composition of Ethanol Extract of a Cocktail Herbal Mixture (Aju Mbaise)

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical constituent of ethanol extract of Aju Mbaise herbal mixture.

Study Design: In the course of the experiment, fresh samples of the plants that make up Aju Mbaise were collected and identified as Cnestis ferruginea, Xylopia aethiopica, Uvaria chamae, Palisota hirsuta, Scleria sp., Napoleona imperialis, Dialium guineense, Combretum racemosun, and Heterotis rotundifolia respectively. The fresh plants were air-dried, cut into small pieces and blended before the extraction process. Ethanol was used as the extraction solvent.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Research Laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, in July 2018.

Methodology: The qualitative phytochemical analysis was determined by Standard methods described by Sofowara (1993), for testing alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids, while the quantitative phytochemical was estimated spectrophotometrically.

Results: The phytochemical result showed the presence of alkaloids (8.69%), flavonoids (19.10%), glycosides (6.86%), hydrogen cyanide (0.92%), phenols (31.56%), saponins (0.83%), steroids (0.94%), tannins (16.80%), and terpenoids (14.31%).

Conclusion: The study showed that ethanol extract of Aju Mbaise herbal mixture contains tremendous amount of phytochemicals.