β – amyrin-3- acetate Detected in Methanolic Leaf Extract of Chrysophyllum albidium

Abstract

Polarity guided cold extraction method was used to extract the crude extracts of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol of leaves of Chrysophyllum albidum. The structural elucidation by spectroscopic methods (1H and 13C NMR) of a fraction of methanol extract of C. albidum yielded one new characterized as β – amyrin acetate. Based on the presence of β-amyrin acetate in C. albidum, the plant could be a viable source of antioxidant and cytotoxic agents in cancer chemotherapy in the near future.  C. albidum may also be used for the treatment of malaria, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, heart disease, stroke, arteriosclerosis, diabetestoothache, rhematic pain, and other inflammatory related disorders and cancer because of the β – amyrin acetate.