Abstract:
Rhus vulgaris commonly known as sumac, a plant that is known to possess different
therapeutic values including antioxidant and antibacterial activities. 800 g dried leaves of
R.vulgaris were macerated sequentially with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol. The three
extracts were separately subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening test and the result
showed the presences of Alkaloids, Glycosides, Steroids, Anthraquinones, Carbohydrates,
Phenols, Flavonoids, Tannins, Coumarins, and Proteins and the absence of Terpenoids, saponins
and amino acids in the extracts. The extracts were also presented to Antibacterial activities by
agar-well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli
and K.pneumoniae using Gentamicin as a positive control. The methanol extract showed better
inhibition zones as compared to the standard. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were done
on the methanol extract by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and Aluminum chloride; the results are 83.15
mg GAE/g and 24.246 mg CE/g respectively. The antioxidant activity of the methanol extract
was also done by DPPH reagent and the result was 22.86 mg AAE/ g. From the methanol extract
one major component was isolated by column chromatography and the compound was identified
as 6-(13-(2-methylbutyl) tricosa-7, 14, 19-trienyl) cyclohexanol by spectroscopic techniques
