International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry

Aim: To isolate, characterize and ascertain the anti-lipid peroxidation activity of a chromene propanoic acid from the stem bark of Brachystegia eurycoma Harms.

Study Design: The study was designed to search, isolate and elucidate the structure of a novel compound and then test its anti-lipid peroxidation activity.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria, between February 2010 and October 2012.

Methodology: The structure of the compound was elucidated using Infrared Spectroscopy, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry. Anti-lipid peroxidation activity was determined using the ferric thiocyanate method.

Results: A novel compound, 3-(5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-chromen-3-yl) propanoic acid was isolated from the ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Brachystegia eurycoma Harms. The compound exhibited marked anti-lipid peroxidation activity at minimum and maximum concentrations of 100 µg/ml (29.42±1.42%) and 500 µg/ml (74.52±1.22%) respectively. Ascorbic acid was used as a standard anti-lipid peroxidation compound; it gave 94.62±1.18% lipid peroxidation inhibition activity at 100 µg/ml.

Conclusion: These analyses reveal the use of the compound in the treatment of diseases caused by free radical activities and therefore corroborate the use of Brachystegia eurycoma plant in the treatment of wounds in herbal medicine.