Ethnobotany and Bioactive Constituents of Tabernaemontana pachysiphon Stapf (Apocynaceae) Used in Indigenous Medicine Practices in Abia State, Nigeria

This work surveyed the ethno-botanical relevance of Tabernaemontana pachysiphon in the indigenous medicine practices of the people of Ekebedi ancient Kingdom, Abia State, Nigeria. In rural tropical localities of Africa such as the Kingdom, modern western Medicare is scarcely available, and plants over the years provide substantial part of the medicines used by the natives to treat both metabolic and pathological diseases as well as fractures amongst many other health conditions. Questionnaires and oral interviews were utilized to capture relevant data about the plant from 102 indigenous herbal doctors, traditional medicine vendors and, natives of the Kingdom and its environs. The phytochemical analysis of the test extract was conducted using GC-MS fingerprinting. The results obtained from the survey indicated that preparations of seeds, leaves, stem and root barks of the plant are used by traditional medicine men and natives of the Kingdom to treat fevers, diabetes, hypertension, stomach troubles, ringworms, malaria, gonorrhea, syphilis, venereal diseases, tumors and bouts of poison etc. GC-MS profiling identified 32 bioactive principles in the methanol leaf extract of the plant, with 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z)-, methyl ester (16.35%); Octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, (E)-, (19.17%); Dodecanoic acid 1, 2, 3-propanetrieyl ester (29.69%) being the major ingredients. Amongst many others were Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (2.91%); Cyclopentadecanone, oxime (1.01%); Z,Z-8,10-Hexadecadien-1-ol (1.82); 9-Octadecenoic acid, 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester, E (5.86%); 9-Octadecenoic acid, 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester, (E- (1.72%); d-Mannitol, 1-O-(22-hydroxydocosyl)- (6.00); and Dodecanoic acid, 1,2,3-propanetriyl ester (6.73%). These principles may underpin the efficacy of T. pachysiphon in folk-medicine and, possibly explains the reasons for the medicinal uses of this plant by natives of the Kingdom.