Chemical Constituents, Antimicrobial and Termite Repellent Activities of Commiphora Africana (Caesalpiniaceae) Root Extracts

Abstract

Commiphora africana is very important in traditional medicine among the natives of Northern Nigeria as a remedy for several ailments and the resin,  root, bark, leaves and wood are usually burnt to keep off mosquitoes and as an incense to ward off evil spirits. The powdered air-dried root  was successively extracted with benzene, chloroform and methanol. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts showed the presence of tannins,  steroids, alkaloids, saponins, phenols, flavonoids and glycosides. Column chromatographic fractionation followed by GC-MS analysis led to the  identification of two triterpenoids, α-amyrin and stigmasterol acetate. Also, the powdered air-dried root was directly extracted with methanol and  the crude extract as well as the fractions were tested for activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida  albicans and Salmonella spp. The fractions were found to be more active than the crude extract, including against those organisms that were not  sensitive to the crude extract, underscoring the importance of fractionation in the study of bioactive plants. However, repellent activity screening  against Thoracotermes macrothorax (common soldier ant), using Filter Paper Disc method showed that the crude methanol extract was more active  than the fractions. The phytochemicals contained in the root, including the two triterpenoids identified in the extracts may account for the biological activities observed in this study and support the traditional claims on the plant.