Tole, TT; Diriba, E; Bahiru, LA
Croton macrostachyus is traditionally used in Ethiopia for treating diabetes, cancers, digestive problems, dysentery, wounds, fevers, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal worms, malaria, pain ulcers, and inflammation. The aim of the present work is investigating the chemical constituents of C. macrostachyus and Commiphora habessinica. The powdered stem bark of C. macrostachyus was successively extracted with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol yielding 1.2, 0.72 and 6.04% respectively. Phytochemical screenings of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides, steroids and absence of anthraquinones. The methanol extract of C. macrostachyus subjected to chromatographic separation resulted in the antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive component lupeol (SED-1). The isolated compound was characterized using melting point, NMR and IR spectroscopy and by comparing experimentally obtained spectral data with previously reported literature. The essential oil of the resin from C. habessinica was isolated by hydro-distillation and a total of 21 components were identified by means of GC and GC/MS analysis. The main components of the essential oil were the medicinally important components α-copaene (27%), α-cadinol (25%), and trans-caryophyllene (15.3%). Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2021, Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University.