Qualitative analysis of phytochemicals from the stem of Ficus vogelii

Abstract

The plant Ficus vogelii commonly known as West African rubber tree, belongs to the family of Moraceae; it is a member of the fig genus found mostly in the Guinea savannah vegetation belt of West and Central Africa. The phytochemicals from the stem of Ficus vogelii, a plant species with ethnomedicinal importance in West Africa, were qualitatively analysed in this work. The aim of the study was to identify and characterize the bioactive compounds present in Ficus vogelii, which could potentially contribute to its therapeutic effects. Fresh stems of Ficus vogelii were collected from a natural habitat in Enugu State, Nigeria, and subjected to air drying followed by cold extraction using methanol, ethyl acetate, and water as solvents. The extracts were then tested for the presence of various phytochemicals using standard qualitative tests. The results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, and phenols in the stem extracts of Ficus vogelii. Each phytochemical was present in varying quantities across the different solvent extracts, with methanol showing the highest extraction efficiency for most compounds. Nonetheless, the findings of this study underscore the potential of Ficus vogelii as a valuable source of natural products for pharmaceutical and medicinal purposes