Abstract:
Profiling the chemical constituents of medicinal plants used in folk medicine is vital in enhancing their
full exploitation and utilization in modern medicine. The objective of the study was to characterize anticancer
compounds from two medicinal plants, Dovyalis abyssinica and Solanum mauense that are used in folk
medicine by the Kipsigis community, in Kenya, in managing various ailments. There is unvalidated folk
medicine claim that the decoctions from the roots of D. abyssinica and fruits of S. mauense have anticancer
property among other uses. This study reports on phytochemistry of D. abbysinica and S. maunse. Cold
extraction method via soaking in solvents was used to prepare the dichloromethane crude extracts, which were
later fractionated and purified using chromatographic techniques. Betulinic acid, benzoylated triterpenoid and
fatty acids were isolated from dichloromethane extract of S. mauense. Similarly, two compounds, benzoic acid
and tremulacin, were isolated from D. abbysinica alongside fatty acid. Anticancer property of betulinic acid,
benzoic acid derivative and tremulacin has been reported previously in literature. This study gives the scientific
basis for the use of these medicinal plants in folk medicine.
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