PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINATION O F ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF ROOT EXTRACT OF RUMEX NERVOSUS VAHL (EMBACHO)

Abstract

Remux nervosus belongs to the family of polygonaceae, which is traditionally used in Ethiopia to treat various diseases. This promoted us to isolate bioactive compounds from the root of this plant. Ground root part of Remux nervosus was subjected to exhaustive extraction successively with hexane, chloroform and methanol. The solvent from each extract was evaporated using rotary evaporator to obtain hexane, chloroform and methanol crude extracts. Phytochemical screening of R. nervosus root was performed on hexane, chloroform and methanol crude extracts and shown the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and tannin and glycoside compounds. The crude extracts of hexane, chloroform, and methanol were tested in-vitro antibacterial activity by disc diffusion method. The maximum antibacterial activity was exhibited in methanol crude extract against S. aureus with inhibition diameter of 10 mm. Chromatographic purification of the methanol crude extract by column chromatography using hexane: ethyl acetate (8:2) ratio gave a compound coded as S. The structure of this compound was partially characterized by means of 1 HNMR, 13CNMR and IR spectral data. The partially characterized compound belongs to the Flavonoid class .the proposed structure is 5, 7, 3’- trihydroxy-4’-methoxy flavones