CHAPTER ONE
1.0. INTRODUCTION
Plants are important in
our everyday existence. They provide our foods, produce the oxygen we
breathe, and serve as raw materials for many industrial products such as
clothes, foot wears and so many others (Ajibesin, 2011). The plant
kingdom has proven to be the most useful in the treatment of diseases
and they provide an important source in all the world pharmaceuticals.
The most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are
steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, flavanoids, alkaloids, tannins and
glycosides. Plants in all face of life have served a valuable starting
material for drug development (Ajibesin, 2011).
Plants also have
ethical values. Ethical values of plants are based on their religious or
quasi- religious feelings of people of many cultures that life forms
have intrinsic value and some degree of protection from destruction by
humans. In every culture, human beings have different ways of using and
protecting plant genetic resources. Ethno-botany is the scientific study
of the dynamics relationships that exist between people and plants
(Alcorn, 1995). Ethno-botany aims to document describe and explain
complex relationship between cultures and plants, focusing primarily on
how plants are used, perceived and managed by societies (Harazaki et al.,
2013). The ethical values and sacredness placed on plants in cultures
where they are found is to prevent them from being over exploited.
Nirmal-kumar et al,. (2005) reported that in India traditional
tales, mythological stories and events in the epics, religious practices
of worship in household and in the temples, in festivals, birth and
death are all replete with reference to plants.
Medicinal plants are the sources of
many important drugs of the modern world. Many of these indigenous
medicinal plants are used as spices and food plants; they are also
sometimes added to foods meant for pregnant mothers for medicinal
purposes (Akinpela and Onakoya, 2006). Medicinal plants are of great
importance to the health of individuals and communities. It was the
advent of antibiotics in the 1950s that led to the decline of the use of
plant derivatives as antimicrobials (Marjorie, 1999). Medicinal plants
contain physiologically active components which over the years have been
exploited in the traditional medical practices for the treatment of
various ailments (Ajibesin, 2011). The use of one plant or its parts for
rituals or religious activities or festivals is not only good for
health but also helps in conservation of biodiversity (Lui et al., 2002).
Newbouldia laevis is commonly
known as African border tree. In Nigerian major languages it is called
‘Aduruku’ in Hausa, Ogirisi” in Igbo and Akoko in Yoruba (Hutchinson and
Dalziel, 1963). Newbouldia laevisis a medium sized, sun
loving, fast growing drought tolerant angiosperm which belongs to the
Bignoniaceae family (Arbonnier, 2004). It grows up to a height of
about7–15 meters but is usually a shrub of 2–3 meters with many stemmed
forming clumps of gnarled branches.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the plant is used
in the management of a variety of ailments for example; the bark is
chewed and swallowed for stomach pains and diarrhea as well as toothache
(Lewis and Manony, 2007). In Nigeria and Ivory Coast, the stem bark
decoctions are used for treatment of epilepsy and convulsions in
children (Tor-anyin et al., 2003). Similarly,
Senegalese use the stem bark for the treatment of rheumatism especially
painful arthritis of the knee. The plant also has medicinal therapy
against ear aches, sore feet and chest pain (Burkil, 1985). Currently,
leaf and root extracts of Newbouldia laevis have been shown to possess antimalaria and antimicrobial activities (Ogunlana and Ramstad, 1975; Ejele et al.,
2012). For centuries rural people in several communities have used
traditional medicine to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases worldwide.
In Abia State, Nigeria, herbalists use the stem, bark and the pulp juice
of Newbouldia laevis (Family Bignoniaceae) as an external
antiseptic for wound dressing. They squeeze out the juice and then
apply it to the affected part for several days. Newbouldia laevis is
a plant with so many medicinal properties as it is used in the
treatment of malaria fever, constipation coughs, tooth ache, sexually
transmitted diseases and breast cancer (Iwu, 2000).
Phytochemicals are said to be chemical
compounds that occurs in plants naturally are believed to be effective
in preventing diseases due to their antioxidant properties (Halliwell
and Gutteridge, 1992). These chemicals are often referred to as
“secondary metabolities” of which there are several classes including
alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, glycosides, saponins, polysaccharides,
phenols, tannins, terpenes and terpenoids (Harborne, 1973; Okwu, 2005).
These compounds have been linked to human health by contributing to
protection against degenerative diseases (Liu, 2004; Dandjesso et al., 2012).
Investigations of the plant have
produced conflicting reports on the content of phytochemical compounds
present in the plant leaf thus provide scarce and inaccurate
information.
1.1 Aim
The aim of this study is to analyze and determine the qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals present in Newbouldia laevis leaves.