Phytochemical Screening and Isolation of Bioactive Compounds from Nigerian Medicinal Plants

This project investigates the phytochemical constituents of selected Nigerian medicinal plants with a view to isolating and characterising bioactive compounds of pharmaceutical interest. The work focuses on plants traditionally used in northern Nigeria for the treatment of infections, inflammation, and metabolic disorders. The study employs standard extraction and fractionation techniques including column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Isolated compounds are characterised using spectroscopic methods such as infrared (IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS). Primary objectives include the identification of flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolic acids that may have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, or antioxidant activity. Findings from this research contribute to the scientific validation of traditional herbal medicine and support the discovery of lead compounds for drug development.