Phytochemicals and biological activities of Tetrapleura tetraptera seed extracts

Abstract

Tetrapleura tetraptera, also known commonly as Prekese or Aidan fruit in Ghana and Nigeria, respectively, is noted for its use in herbal preparations. The fruit in particular is employed as an ingredient in traditional medicine and as a spice across West-Africa. The seed, which forms part of the fruit, is discarded together with the spent fruit. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition as well as the biological activity of the hexane and ethanol extracts of the prekese seed. Our investigation revealed that the extracts contained valuable secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and glycosides. All extracts exhibited mild to good levels of antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms. The ethanol extract had a better biological activity compared to the hexane extract. The biological activities of both the hexane and ethanol extracts were lower compared to those of ciprofloxacin and ketoconazole.