Phytochemical Study of the Flavonoids of the Roots of Khaya senegalensis

Abstract

In this study the roots of the plant Khaya senegalensis, which is widely used in the traditional medicine of Sudan, were phytochemically screened and found to contain flavonoids, tannins, steroids and glycosides. One of the flavonoids (flavonoid-I) was isolated and purified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on silica gel using the solvent system butanol: acetic acid: water (5:6:2), from the ethanolic extract. The behaviour of flavonoid-I under UV-light, and its colour reactions indicated that it was a flavone. The flavonoid-I was subjected to spectral studies and the following structure was proposed on the basis of its IR, UV, 1H-NMR, and MS spectra. H HO H A HO C2H5O OC2H5 B C OCH3 OCH3 C-CH3 flavonoid-I