Phytochemical Analysis of the Leaves of Senna occidentalis

Abstract

The study investigates the phytochemical composition of leaves of Senna occidentalis collected in
Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria, with a view to supporting their emerging medicinal use. Dried,
powdered leaves were successively extracted by cold maceration with n-hexane, dichloromethane, and
methanol, and the resulting crude extracts were concentrated and profiled using thin-layer
chromatography to optimize n-hexane/ethyl acetate solvent systems for subsequent column
chromatography fractionation. Guided by TLC, fractions from silica gel columns were pooled and
further purified, and the methanol extract was subjected to LC–MS/MS analysis under validated
conditions to identify major secondary metabolites. The extraction gave low but distinct yields for nhexane
(0.40%), dichloromethane (0.34%), and methanol (0.56%) fractions, each exhibiting multiple
UV-active TLC spots indicative of chemically diverse constituents. LC–MS/MS profiling tentatively
identified eight phenolic and related compounds, including flavones and hydroxycinnamic and
hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives such as apigenin 7-O-apiosylglucoside, 3-O-methylcatechin,
kaempferide, malic acid, and other polyphenolic structures of known biological relevance. These
findings demonstrate that S. occidentalis leaves constitute a polyphenol-rich matrix containing
structurally diverse phytochemicals with reported antioxidant, antimicrobial, and other pharmacological
activities, thereby providing a chemical basis for its traditional use and a rational foundation for further
bioactivity-guided studies and potential drug discovery