Growth Inhibitory Effect and Vacuum Liquid Chromatography of Parinari Excelsa Sabine. (chrysobalanaceae)

Background: Cancer is regarded as one of the major public health issue all over the world Cancer is regarded as one of the major public health issue all over the world. Studies on cell proliferation are an essential first stage in determining a test substance's potential toxicity in people, including that of plant extracts or physiologically active chemicals derived from plants.Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the growth inhibitory effect of the crude extract and vacuum liquid chromatographic fractions of Parinari excelsa on length of the radicles of guinea corn (Sorghum bicolor).Methods: Methanol seed extract of P. excelsa was subjected to Vacuum Liquid Chromatographic (VLC) procedure. The vacuum liquid chromatographic fraction of the seeds extract of P. excelsa was carried out using 300 ml of hexane (100%), hexane – dichloromethane (75:25, 50:50, 25:75), dichloromethane (100%), dichloromethane – ethyl acetate (75:25, 50:50, 25:75), ethyl acetate (100%), ethyl acetate – methanol (75:25, 50:50, 25:75) and methanol (100%). Phytochemical and growth inhibitory effect of the crude extract and chromatographic fractions were carried out using standard methods.Results: The percentage yield of crude extract was 10.5% while those of the chromatographic fractions 1 to 4 were 11.7, 5, 6 and 3.7% respectively. Phytochemical evaluation showed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, tannins, reducing sugar, steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids for the crude extract while cardiac glycosides was absent. Whereas a total of four (4) metabolites were presents in the four bulked chromatographic fractions. Result for the growth inhibitory study revealed that the length of the seed radicle of the control increase progressively over time, whereas the crude extract inhibited the growth of the guinea corn seed radicle. Seed treated with 20 and 30 mg/ml of the crude extract had a high percentage reduction in the guinea corn seed radicle with percentage reduction ranging from 14.51 to 58.39% and 66.44 to 84.74% during the study period respectively. Fractions 1, 2 and 4 had a significant reduction in the length of the guinea corn seed radicle at a concentration of 5 and 10 mg/mL while fraction 3 had a significant reduction in the length of the guinea corn seed radicle at a concentration of 10 mg/mL.Conclusion: According to this study, the traditional uses of Parinari excelsa seed extracts and its chromatographic fractions are justified because they have anti-proliferative properties against the radicles of guinea corn (Sorghum bicolor). This property may be attributed to the plant's presence of some bioactive constituents, such as terpenoids, which may be connected to its use as an anticancer agent.