Qualitative Phytochemical Screening of the Methanolic Flower Extract of Ziziphus nummularia

Fatima Muhammad Bashir and Aliyu Isa
Department of biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria

*Corresponding author’s Email: aabidah338@gmail.com, doi.org/10.55639/607.02010088


ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants continue to be a vital source of bioactive compounds utilised in traditional healthcare systems, particularly in regions where access to synthetic drugs is limited. Ziziphus nummularia is widely employed in folk medicine for the management of gastrointestinal, inflammatory, and infectious conditions; however, information on the phytochemical composition of its flowers is limited. In this study, flowers of Z. nummularia were extracted using methanol and subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening using standard chemical tests. The screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, steroids, and cardiac glycosides, while alkaloids were not detected. A preliminary chromatographic examination was conducted to support the qualitative identification of flavonoid constituents, without quantitative evaluation. The phytochemical profile obtained provides baseline evidence supporting the traditional use of Z. nummularia flowers and highlights their potential as a source of biologically relevant secondary metabolites. Further studies involving quantitative analysis, compound isolation, and evaluation of biological activity are recommended.

Keywords:
Ziziphus nummularia,
Phytochemical,
Methanol,
Extract.

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