Preliminary Phytochemical Analyses of Two Varieties of Adenia Lobata (Jacq) and the Antioxidant Activity of Their Various Solvent Fractions

Abstract

Adenia lobata is a medicinal plant that is traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer in some places in eastern Nigeria. Comparative phytochemical analyses were carried out on two varieties of Adenia lobata; Adenia lobata with cordate leaves (ALC) and Adenia lobata with palmate leaves (ALP). ALC was found to possess more phytochemical constituents than ALP. The antioxidant activity of the solvent fractions viz. hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethylacetate, butanol and aqueous fractions of each variety of the Adenia lobata was also determined. The highest antioxidant activity (63.87%) was found in the ethylacetate fraction of ALC. These results suggest that the therapeutic use of this plant in the treatment of cancer could be due to its antioxidant activity.