THE QUANTITATIVE PHYTOCHEMICALS CONTENT OF THE STEM BARK OF BOSWELLIA DALZIELII HUTCH, THE ANTIOXIDANT AND CYTOTOXICACTIVITIES OF ITS EXTRACTS

¹Mshelia E. H.,* ¹Kadam Tadzabia²Ali R.&³Watirahyel Pindar

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to determine the quantitative phytochemical content of the stem bark of Boswellia dalzielii hutch used in folklore medicine, with the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of its extracts (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol and water) obtained by soxhlet extraction. The quantitative phytochemical profile was determined using standard methods, cytotoxicity was determined using brine shrimp assay and the antioxidant activity was determined using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity. The result showed that the total flavonoid had the highest content (1.8119%) followed by tannin (0.3258%) and Saponin (0.2362%) while alkaloid (0.0008%) had the least concentration. The cytotoxic activity  showed that the ethyl acetate extract was the most potent  with LC₅₀ value of 115.43µg/ml followed by the water extract with LC₅₀ value of 122.41 µg/ml and acetone extract (200.26 µg/ml) while petroleum ether extract was the least active (272.67 µg/ml). The ethyl acetate extract had the highest antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay with IC₅₀ value of 77.06 µg/ml followed by water extract with IC₅₀ value of (384.79 µg/ml) and acetone extract had the least activity (6212.50µg/ml). According to the findings of this study Boswellia dalzielii stem bark contain some active phytochemicals which had a strong natural anticancer and antioxidant activities.

Keywords: Boswellia dalzielii, phytochemicals, antioxidant and cytotoxicity