Phytotaxonomy and phytochemicals of Eight species of the Family Moraceae in Benue State,Nigeria [ ]


Phytochemical screening was carried out on eight species of Moraceae family in Benue State, Nigeria, using both aqueous and alcohol extracts. Results showed that, tannins and sterols were contained in all the 8 plant species (100%), followed by phlobatannins and saponnins which were found in 7 species(87.5%). Cardiac glycosides and reducing sugars were contained in only 1 species(12.5%). Neither alkaloids nor carotenoids were found in any of the species. There was no association between phytochemical composition by species and the type of extract used,when Chi square analysis was used at p= 0.05. Cluster analysis was carried out using Euclidean test to place the identified plants into a number of different groups such that similar plants were placed in the same group on the basis of phytochemical constituents. The cluster analysis did not reveal much distinction between the eight species under study. There was no much distinction between the Ficus species themselves and between the Ficus species and the Artocarpus heterophyllus which has been shown to belong to another tribe by other workers. This indicates that the distribution of phytochemical constituents may vary irregularly between the Ficus species and they on their own can not necessarily be used to discriminate between the species.