Phytochemical Identification in the Chloroform Fraction of Aqueous-Methanol Extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius Leaves

Aims: This study is designed to identify minor bioactive compounds present in 80% aqueous-methanol chloroform fraction of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (CA) air-dried leaves using proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) spectrometry.
Methodology: The air-dried leaves of CA were pulverized and Soxhlet-extracted with aqueous-methanol (1:4, v/v). The dried leaf extract obtained was purified in chloroform and analyzed with 1H NMR- spectrometry using dimethyl sulphoxide solvent.
Results: The proton NMR spectra were interpreted to indicate the presence of major phytochemicals like flavonoids, anthraquinones anthranoids), saponins and alkaloids with their minor bioactive compounds. Some of the identified compounds included eupafolin, hispidulin, oleonolic acid, β-sitosterol, isoquecetin, kaempferol 3-O- gentiobioside, rhamnopyranosyl-(1)-glucopyranosyl-(1)-glucopyranoside, Seneciomine, Retrorsine and Seneciphylline.
Conclusion: The proton NMR-spectrometry characterized and aided the identification of phyto-compounds present in chloroform fraction of C. aconitifolius leaf extract. These phytochemicals could be medicinally and toxicologically potent and responsible for the reported effects of the extract. However, bioassay-guided fractionation using HPTLC is still recommended for better extrapolations.