SAPONIN, OTHER PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF CARICA PAPAYA LEAF EXTRACT

Abstract

This study examined the preponderant phytochemical and antioxidant potential in
the extractfractions of Carica papaya leaf to ascertain possible mechanism of action
of the plant 50 earlier reported antioxidant and antisickling properties. Soxhlet
extraction of the C. papaya leaves gave rise to the initial crude methattolic extract
of the papaya leaf and subsequent exhaustive fractionation using a separatory funnel
with chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol organic solvents were done to obtain the
desired extract fractions. Determination of quantitative and qualitative
phytochemical constituents of C. papaya leaf extract and determination of
antioxidant property of the different fractions were done using standard protocols.
The results showed that saponin was the most abundant phytochemical in the
chloroform, butanol and water-soluble fractions but not the ethyl acetate fraction.
While the antioxidant assay showed that the chloroform fraction had the highest
antioxidant property. The result of this study supports earlier findings on the rich
antioxidant property of the C. papaya leaf crude extract and specifically pinpoints
the type of phytochemical and fraction that may possess more of this antioxidant property.