Finding Balance: Meditations

Xylia dolabriformis belonging to the Fabaceae family has been investigated for isolation of compounds and evaluation of biological activities as antimicrobial screening and cytotoxicity study. Two compound has been isolated which was identified by extensive analyses of their high resolution NMR (1H-NMR) spectral data.The powdered stem bark of Xylia dolabriformis was extracted with methanol. The concentrated extract was then partitioned with n-Hexane, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. Chromatographic fractionation and purification of the crude methanolic extract yielded two compounds. The purified compounds identified are stigmasterol and β-Amyrinone. Microbiological investigation showed chloroform soluble fraction has mild to moderate antimicrobial activity. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the crude methanolic extract ,n-Hexane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and aqueous soluble fractions, were found to show LC50 15.5 µg/ml, 7.08 µg/ml, 3.89 µg/ml, 3.80 µg/ml & 5.01 µg/ml, respectively. This indicated that carbon tetrachloride & chloroform soluble fractions were highly cytotoxic.