Browsing by Author "Hamza, Mohammed Falalu."

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Phytochemical, elemental and biotechnological study of cryptocarya latifolia, an indigenous medicinal plant of South Africa.
(2013) Hamza, Mohammed Falalu.; Moodley, Roshila.
Cryptocarya latifolia (Lauraceae) is an indigenous South African plant used in ethnomedicinal practices. Traditional healers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa are extensively using the bark of C. latifolia as a substitute for Ocotea bullata, resulting in the decline of existing populations and also causing its conservation status to come under scrutiny. If no conservation efforts are instigated, the depletion and extinction of this species in the natural habitat is highly probable. Therefore, in this study, a phytochemical investigation of the leaves and fruits of C. latifolia was performed to determine their suitability, as a replacement for the bark, for medicinal use. From the leaves, a new compound, 5-hexyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-one (4) was isolated together with known compounds, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (1), β-sitosterol (2), copaene (3) and nerolidol (5). In addition, some important monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and essential oils were isolated and identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (1) and β-sitosterol (2) were also isolated from the edible fruits. Anti-oxidant activity of the isolated compounds using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay indicated good anti-oxidant activity of all compounds, except β-sitosterol (2), compared to ascorbic acid. The results reveal that the leaves and fruits can be used, instead of the bark, as a source of antioxidants. The analytical study conducted on the fruits of C. latifolia indicated that they are a good source of important dietary elements and may contribute significantly to the diet. The elements were found to be in increasing order of Pb