Abstract

Plant leaves are known to be abundant in phytochemicals, which are effective protectants of cells against oxidative stress, a leading cause of many diseases. The leaves of Cola acuminata (CA) have been used in herbal medicine to manage gastrointestinal infections, upper respiratory tract infections, and anaemia in adults and children. Fresh leaves of Cola acuminata were air-dried, ground into powder, then macerated in methanol for 72 hours, while stirring intermittently. The mixture was then filtered to obtain the crude extract by concentration. The nutritional composition, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical constituent, in vitro antioxidant capacity, as well as acute toxicity of the methanol leaf extract of CA were evaluated following standard methods. Proximate analysis revealed that the plant extract contained substantial amounts of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fibre, and ash, with a low moisture content. Qualitative phytochemical analysis reveals appreciable amounts of flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, coumarins, tannins, phenols, and reducing sugars. In vitro antioxidant analysis indicates that CA has a high total antioxidant capacity and effectively scavenges DPPH radical. Acute toxicity studies show that the leaf extract had LD₅₀ values >5,000 mg/kg body weight, with no sign of toxicity or mortality. This study therefore supports the claims of the efficiency of Cola acuminata methanol leaf extract in combating disease states in humans.

Keywords: Cola acuminata, Antioxidants, Nutritional, Herbal medicine, Acute toxicity