Abstract:

The use of plant as medicine has a long history in the treatment of various diseases. In Africa, traditional medicine is practiced and plants are exploited for the treatment of many infections and diseases. Kigelia africana is one of such plants used to prepare local tonics for improved health and growth. This research aimed to investigate and compare the yield, phytochemical presence and antioxidant activities of n-hexane, ethylacetate and ethanol extracts of Kigelia africana fruit. Proximate analysis was carried out on Kigelia africana fruit. N-hexane, ethylacetate and ethanol were used to successively extract the Kigelia africana fruit. Phytochemical screenings were conducted to identify the secondary metabolites present. The DPPH (1, 1 –diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay was employed to determine the radical scavenging effects of antioxidants present in the extracts. The percentage yield were 0.87, 1.65 and 8.24% for n-hexane, ethylacetate and ethanol extract respectively. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin, terpenoids, phenol, cardiac glycoside, coumarins, phlobatannins, saponin, sterols and quinone in differing am