search
for
 About Bioline  All Journals  Testimonials  Membership  News


African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines
African Ethnomedicines Network
ISSN: 0189-6016
Vol. 13, No. 1, 2016, pp. 114-122
Bioline Code: tc16016
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge

African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2016, pp. 114-122

 en CHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND BIOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF VALERIAN ROOT AS USED BY HERBAL PRACTITIONERS IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
Dyayiya, Nelisa Assistance; Oyemitan, IdrisA jayi; Matewu, Reuben; Oyedeji, Opeoluwa Oyehan; Oluwafemi, Samuel Oluwatobi; Nkeh-Chungag, Benedicta N.; Songca, Sandile Phindile & Oyedeji, Adebola Omowunmi

Abstract

Background: Herbal practitioners in the Eastern Cape of South Africa use valerian root ( Valeriana capensis check for this species in other resources , Valerianaceae) to manage pains, arthritis and inflammation. The herb prepared from this plant was studied to determine the chemical composition of its essential oil, carried out phytochemical screening and biological activities on its infusion extract as used by the herbal practitioner.
Materials and Methods: Essential oil of Valerian root was obtained by hydrodistillation and subjected to chemical analyses. Infusion extract of the Valerian root was screened to determine its secondary metabolites and the relative abundance of some major metabolites. The infusion extract was further evaluated for acute toxicity (LD50), anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in rodents.
Results: The yield of the essential oil was 0.18% w/w. The GC/MS analysis indicated the presence of 42 compounds with major ones being caryophyllene oxide (18.11%), viridiflorol (9.37%) and bornyl acetate (8.84%). Phytochemicals found in the infusion extract were alkaloids, saponins, tannins and flavonoids while quantitative screenings showed saponins and flavonoids accounted for 6.39% and 7.40% respectively. The LD50 of the extract was found to be 3808 mg/kg per oral. The infusion extract of the root (250-500 mg/kg, p.o.) caused significant (p<0.01) activity in the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model comparable to aspirin, indicating anti-inflammatory activity; but lacked analgesic activity on the acetic acid-induced writhing test.
Conclusion: The infusion extract possessed significant anti-inflammatory but lacked analgesic activity; the present data justify the use of this herbal agent by the herbal practitioners from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

Keywords
Valeriana capensis; essential oil; caryophyllene oxide; infusion extract; anti-inflammatory; analgesic

 
© Copyright 2016 - African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Alternative site location: http://journals.sfu.ca/africanem/index.php/ajtcam

Home Faq Resources Email Bioline
© Bioline International, 1989 - 2024, Site last up-dated on 01-Sep-2022.
Site created and maintained by the Reference Center on Environmental Information, CRIA, Brazil
System hosted by the Google Cloud Platform, GCP, Brazil