Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)

Striga asiatica, commonly known as Witchweed, is a parasitic plant that significantly impacts cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, and millet, leading to severe agricultural losses. Besides its agricultural threat, S. asiatica has a rich history of use in traditional medicine for treating various a...

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Main Authors: G. F. Kontagora, N. M. Ibrahim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Joint Coordination Centre of the World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP) 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/288020
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author G. F. Kontagora
N. M. Ibrahim
author_facet G. F. Kontagora
N. M. Ibrahim
author_sort G. F. Kontagora
collection DOAJ
description Striga asiatica, commonly known as Witchweed, is a parasitic plant that significantly impacts cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, and millet, leading to severe agricultural losses. Besides its agricultural threat, S. asiatica has a rich history of use in traditional medicine for treating various ailments. This research focuses on analyzing the phytochemical composition of S. asiatica using four different solvent extracts: ethyl acetate, methanol, chloroform, and N-hexane from pulverized plant material. The goal is to identify the primary bioactive constituents and explore their potential medicinal properties. Standard analytical techniques were employed to evaluate the phytochemical profiles of the different solvent extracts. The study consistently identified alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, and triterpenes across all extracts. Flavonoids, saponins, and tannins were specifically present in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts but were absent in chloroform and N-hexane extracts. Notably, anthraquinones and steroids were not detected in any of the solvent extracts, suggesting a unique phytochemical profile for S. asiatica. An important finding is the significant activity of the N-hexane extract against pathogenic organisms such as Culex quinquefasciatusaa, indicating potential antifungal and antihelminthic properties. These results underscore the diverse phytochemical profile of S. asiatica and its potential therapeutic applications. The study highlights the need for further research to fully understand the bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action, which could lead to new applications in medicine and agriculture.
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spelling doaj-art-a57820d15c1b4146bb1238ca3e68e5e42025-02-02T19:51:26ZengJoint Coordination Centre of the World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP)Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management2659-15022659-14992025-02-01291Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)G. F. KontagoraN. M. Ibrahim Striga asiatica, commonly known as Witchweed, is a parasitic plant that significantly impacts cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, and millet, leading to severe agricultural losses. Besides its agricultural threat, S. asiatica has a rich history of use in traditional medicine for treating various ailments. This research focuses on analyzing the phytochemical composition of S. asiatica using four different solvent extracts: ethyl acetate, methanol, chloroform, and N-hexane from pulverized plant material. The goal is to identify the primary bioactive constituents and explore their potential medicinal properties. Standard analytical techniques were employed to evaluate the phytochemical profiles of the different solvent extracts. The study consistently identified alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, and triterpenes across all extracts. Flavonoids, saponins, and tannins were specifically present in the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts but were absent in chloroform and N-hexane extracts. Notably, anthraquinones and steroids were not detected in any of the solvent extracts, suggesting a unique phytochemical profile for S. asiatica. An important finding is the significant activity of the N-hexane extract against pathogenic organisms such as Culex quinquefasciatusaa, indicating potential antifungal and antihelminthic properties. These results underscore the diverse phytochemical profile of S. asiatica and its potential therapeutic applications. The study highlights the need for further research to fully understand the bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action, which could lead to new applications in medicine and agriculture. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/288020Phytochemicals; Pulverized; Screening; Solvent; Witchweed
spellingShingle G. F. Kontagora
N. M. Ibrahim
Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
Phytochemicals; Pulverized; Screening; Solvent; Witchweed
title Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
title_full Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
title_fullStr Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
title_full_unstemmed Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
title_short Phytochemicals Screening in Four Solvent Extractions of Pulverized Witchweed (Striga asiatica)
title_sort phytochemicals screening in four solvent extractions of pulverized witchweed striga asiatica
topic Phytochemicals; Pulverized; Screening; Solvent; Witchweed
url https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/288020
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