African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (7), pp. 894-896, 2 April 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Short Communication

Physico-chemical characterization and cytotoxicity studies of seed extracts of Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss.

R. G. Ayo¹, O. T. Audu² and   J. O. Amupitan²

¹Samaru College of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello  University, Zaria, Nigeria.

²Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author.  E-mail: gbekeayo@yahoo.com. Tel: +2348036371606.

Accepted 22 February, 2007

The seeds of Khaya senegalensis were extracted using petroleum ether and methanol with the aim of determining the physico-chemical properties of the seed oil and the cytotoxicity of the two extracts. The refractive index of the oil was found to be 1.458, while the relative density was 0.953. The iodine and saponification values were 88.40 and 195.58, respectively. The peroxide and acid values were 4.6 and 2.69, respectively. Brine shrimp lethality bioassay of petroleum ether and methanol extracts of the seeds showed that the extracts were moderately cytotoxic at high concentration. The LC₅₀ values using Probit analysis method for petroleum ether and methanol extracts were 827.39 and 51.79 µg/ml, respectively.  Therefore, the seed oil of K. senegalensis was found to be non-drying oil and the extracts from the seeds may contain bioactive compounds of potential therapeutic and prophylactic significance.

Key words: Khaya senegalensis, Meliaceae, physico-chemical characteristics, seed oil, cytotoxicity.