Advances in Phytochemistry, Textile and Renewable Energy Research for
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Phytochemical screening, total phenolic and flavonoid content of
Senna didymobotrya
B.O. Sadia* & J.K. Cherutoi
School of Sciences and Aerospace Studies, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
C.M. Achisa
School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
ABSTRACT: Senna didymobotrya has been used in Kenya by the Kipsigis community to control malaria
as well as diarrhoea. The Pokot prepare charcoal from the stem for milk preservation. Research has not been
done to investigate the effect of different extraction solvents on yield, total phenolic and flavonoid content
of Senna didymobotrya plant roots. The aim of this study was to compare root extract yield of diethyl-ether,
methanol, and aqueous solvents; phytochemical screening; and total phenolic and flavonoid content of Senna
didymobotrya plant roots. Extraction was done by the Soxhlet method. Phytochemical screening was done using
Harborne’s (1973) method with a slight modification. Total flavonoid content was determined by aluminium
chloride colourimetric assay at 420 nm. Total phenolic content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu at 760 nm
using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Extraction yield of diethyl ether, methanol, and distilled water were 3.72 g
(7.44%), 4.97 g (9.94%), and 9.09 g (18.18%), respectively, showing a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the
yields obtained using the different solvents. Phytochemical screening was positive for phenols, tannins, saponins,
gladiac glycosides, anthraquinones, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Total flavonoid content was found to be 48.3 ± 1.5
(QEmg/g) and total phenol content was calculated as 34.5 ± 0.1 (GAEmg/g). Distilled water can be utilized as
the best extraction solvent. Senna has a high amount of flavonoid and phenolic content. The limitation of this
research is that it only tested root extracts and not leaves, flowers, or seeds. More studies need to be done to
isolate the different compounds identified.
Keywords: Phytochemicals, Flavonoid, Phenolic, Senna didymobotrya
1 INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants are widely distributed throughout
the world and have been used to promote human
health (Ngulde, Sandabe, Tijjani, Barkindo, & Hussaini 2013), and in tackling excess mortality and
morbidity among marginalized and poor populations.
Currently, although accessibility to modern healthcare
has become faster and easier, there are still populations that prefer to promote their health by using fresh
medicinal plants. The most known are the traditional
Chinese medicine and the Ayurveda of India (Johari
& Khong 2019).
Most African countries are poor, with highly underdeveloped healthcare systems. A large percentage of
the African population is living below the poverty line
and cannot afford expensive conventional medicines.
Moreover, the belief among certain African communities that certain diseases can only be managed using
traditional medicines has greatly contributed to the
continued use of herbal medicine. The World Health
∗ Corresponding author
Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the
world’s population has no regular access to essential
modern medicines and that about half the population
in some parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America faces
these shortages (WHO 2012). Herbal medicine has
therefore provided an alternative method for disease
treatment and management.
Natural products have played an important role
in modern drug development due to their structural
diversity. It is estimated that about 25% of all modern medicines are directly or indirectly derived from
higher plants (WHO 2012; Ganga, Rao, & Pavani
2012). Plant biomolecules serve as drug entities as
well as chemical models for the design and synthesis of therapeutics for communicable and noncommunicable diseases (Veeresham 2012). Important
drugs such as paclitaxel (Mirjalili, Farzaneh, Bonfill, Rezadoost, & Ghassempour 2012), camptothecin
(Kusari et al. 2009), morphine (Powers, Erickson, &
Swortwood 2017), aspirin, cocaine (Brachet, Rudaz,
Mateus, Christen & Veuthey 2001), codeine (Fakhari,
Nojavan, Ebrahimi, & Evenhuis 2010), digitoxin
(Kohls, Scholz-Botttcher, Teske, & Rullkotter 2015),
150
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-20
Industrial Growth – Nzila et al. (Eds)
© 2022 Copyright the Author(s), ISBN: 978-1-032-11871-0
Open Access: www.taylorfrancis.com, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
Phytochemical screening, total phenolic and flavonoid content of
Senna didymobotrya
B.O. Sadia* & J.K. Cherutoi
School of Sciences and Aerospace Studies, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
C.M. Achisa
School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
ABSTRACT: Senna didymobotrya has been used in Kenya by the Kipsigis community to control malaria
as well as diarrhoea. The Pokot prepare charcoal from the stem for milk preservation. Research has not been
done to investigate the effect of different extraction solvents on yield, total phenolic and flavonoid content
of Senna didymobotrya plant roots. The aim of this study was to compare root extract yield of diethyl-ether,
methanol, and aqueous solvents; phytochemical screening; and total phenolic and flavonoid content of Senna
didymobotrya plant roots. Extraction was done by the Soxhlet method. Phytochemical screening was done using
Harborne’s (1973) method with a slight modification. Total flavonoid content was determined by aluminium
chloride colourimetric assay at 420 nm. Total phenolic content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu at 760 nm
using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Extraction yield of diethyl ether, methanol, and distilled water were 3.72 g
(7.44%), 4.97 g (9.94%), and 9.09 g (18.18%), respectively, showing a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the
yields obtained using the different solvents. Phytochemical screening was positive for phenols, tannins, saponins,
gladiac glycosides, anthraquinones, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Total flavonoid content was found to be 48.3 ± 1.5
(QEmg/g) and total phenol content was calculated as 34.5 ± 0.1 (GAEmg/g). Distilled water can be utilized as
the best extraction solvent. Senna has a high amount of flavonoid and phenolic content. The limitation of this
research is that it only tested root extracts and not leaves, flowers, or seeds. More studies need to be done to
isolate the different compounds identified.
Keywords: Phytochemicals, Flavonoid, Phenolic, Senna didymobotrya
1 INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants are widely distributed throughout
the world and have been used to promote human
health (Ngulde, Sandabe, Tijjani, Barkindo, & Hussaini 2013), and in tackling excess mortality and
morbidity among marginalized and poor populations.
Currently, although accessibility to modern healthcare
has become faster and easier, there are still populations that prefer to promote their health by using fresh
medicinal plants. The most known are the traditional
Chinese medicine and the Ayurveda of India (Johari
& Khong 2019).
Most African countries are poor, with highly underdeveloped healthcare systems. A large percentage of
the African population is living below the poverty line
and cannot afford expensive conventional medicines.
Moreover, the belief among certain African communities that certain diseases can only be managed using
traditional medicines has greatly contributed to the
continued use of herbal medicine. The World Health
∗ Corresponding author
Organization (WHO) estimates that one-third of the
world’s population has no regular access to essential
modern medicines and that about half the population
in some parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America faces
these shortages (WHO 2012). Herbal medicine has
therefore provided an alternative method for disease
treatment and management.
Natural products have played an important role
in modern drug development due to their structural
diversity. It is estimated that about 25% of all modern medicines are directly or indirectly derived from
higher plants (WHO 2012; Ganga, Rao, & Pavani
2012). Plant biomolecules serve as drug entities as
well as chemical models for the design and synthesis of therapeutics for communicable and noncommunicable diseases (Veeresham 2012). Important
drugs such as paclitaxel (Mirjalili, Farzaneh, Bonfill, Rezadoost, & Ghassempour 2012), camptothecin
(Kusari et al. 2009), morphine (Powers, Erickson, &
Swortwood 2017), aspirin, cocaine (Brachet, Rudaz,
Mateus, Christen & Veuthey 2001), codeine (Fakhari,
Nojavan, Ebrahimi, & Evenhuis 2010), digitoxin
(Kohls, Scholz-Botttcher, Teske, & Rullkotter 2015),
150
DOI 10.1201/9781003221968-20