ANTIOXIDANT, CYTOTOXICITY STUDIES AND ISOLATION OF TRANS-ANONENE AND LUPEOLFROM LEAVES AND STEM BARK EXTRACTS OF CROTON MEMBRANACEUS

Abstract

The antioxidant activity of the dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of the leaves and stem bark of Croton membranaceus was carried out using a 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and metal chelation assay along with cytotoxicity analysis using the Brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA). The silica gel-based chromatographic separation of the CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts successfully isolated trans-annonene and lupeol. The structures of the isolated compounds were subsequently identified using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based on 1D and 2D data compared with the literature. The CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts exhibited antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner but were highly cytotoxic. In conclusion, the study showed that the leaves and stem bark of C. membranaceous are potentially viable sources of bioactive compounds with potential health and medicinal benefits.