PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION, PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF Cola lepidota (Karl SCHUM) SEED.

Abstract

Medicinal plants are rich sources of some active ingredients used in drugs synthesis and development. Monkey cola is a common name given to some edible wild relatives of West African kola nut.  The physico-chemical and phytochemical profile of Cola lepidota seeds were assessed using standard chemical methods. The proximate analysis showed that the seed contained moisture (9.40±0.02 %), ash (4.57±0.03 %), fibre (4.58±0.01 %), fat (16.70±0.02 %), protein (23.78±0.04 %) and carbohydrate (40.97±0.05 %). The Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer analysis revealed the presence hydroxyl (-OH), nitrile (C-N) and carboxylic acid (COOH) in the seed. Elemental analysis using Micro Particle induced X-ray emission/Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (PIXE/RBS) revealed the presence of major and trace  elements like sodium, magnesium, calcium, zinc and manganese. The percentage composition of carbon was 57.53, oxygen 39.96 and nitrogen 0.84. The phytochemical contents (mg/100g) obtained in the sample were as follows; alkaloids 4239.37±0.29, flavonoids 10.72±0.14, saponins 22.5±0.02, tannins 288.44±27 and terpenoids 1032.00±41.70. This result shows that C. lepidota has some medicinal values and contains essential elements needed for human body growth and development. KEYWORDS: Physico-chemical properties, Phytochemical profile, Fourier transform infra- red (FTIR) spectrometer, Cola lepidota