Phytochemical and antioxidant properties of some Nigerian medicinal plants

Abstract

Medicinal plants are of great importance to the health of individuals and communities. The medicinal value of these plants lies in some chemical substances that produce a definite physiological action on the human body. The most important of these are alkaloids, tannins, glycoside, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, phlobatannins, resins, balsam, volatile oils and cardiac glycosides. The distribution of these moieties in six medicinal plants extracts belonging to different families were assessed and compared. The radical scavenging activities of the plant extracts against 2, 2 – Diphenyl -1picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) (Sigma Aldrich) were determined by UV spectrophotometer at 517 nm. Also, the significance of the plants in traditional medicine and importance of the distribution of these chemicals constituents were discussed with respect to the role of these plants in ethno medicinal usage in Nigeria.