Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Open Access
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2376-0419
+44 1300 500008
Uche-Okereafor Nkemdinma Chinezurum, Ndinteh D T, Niemann N and Mavumengwana V
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Pharma Care Health Sys
Globally, medicinal plants play a very significant role in health-promotion and the reduction of disease burden in our communities. Over 80,000 species of such plants and their secondary metabolites such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, terpenes, phenolic compounds, glycosides and flavonoids have demonstrated excellent antimicrobial properties in vitro. Our main interest is on Rhoicissus tomentosa with high medicinal potentials whose phytochemistry has not been fully investigated. Rhoicissus tomentosa is a plant used in South African traditional medicine to treat ailments mainly related to fertility and reproduction and pains. Phytochemical screening of the rhizomes of R. tomentosa was investigated for the first time to ascertain their possible pharmaceutical potential. The results showed that the rhizomes of the plant contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, reducing sugars and tannins. These phytochemicals have been discovered to have several biological activities. 2 Dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time of flight mass spectra (GCxGC TOF-MS) analysis of the crude extracts displayed the presence of over 100 known bioactive compounds. These compounds belong to different groups of compounds most of which are amino acids and fatty acids and its esters. These compounds are known and have been previously reported to have anti-abortifacient, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties. In general, this study gave some level of validity to the ethnobotanical uses of R. tomentosa with consideration to the known biological activities of the compounds identified therein. In the light of the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance to existing antibiotics, these bioactive compounds identified in this plant are be isolated and tested for antimicrobial properties and other biological activities in anticipation for a possible drug lead for microbial infections and fertility treatment.
Email: nucheokereafor@gmail.com