Phytochemical Studies, Antioxidant Properties and Development of Dye Indicator from Aspilia africana Leaves

Background: Synthetic indicators are reported to be costly and could be toxic to both the user and the environment. This has necessitated the need for an alternative from natural sources. This study aimed to extract and apply natural dye as an indicator in acid-base titration and also to identify the phytochemical and antioxidant constituents of Aspilia africana flowers.

Methods: The indicator dye was extracted in ethanol and tested against standard phenolphthalein as an acid-base indicator. The antioxidant vitamins and phytochemical screening of the leave extract were also determined using conventional methods.

Results: The acid-base titration of the extracted dye and the standard indicator showed titer values that compared favorably with the universal indicator. The results showed that the concentration of the antioxidant vitamins in the leave extract decreased in the following order vitamin c >vitamin E > vitamin A. The results also showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins.

Conclusion: The present study shows that the dye from Aspilia africana can serve as a good acid-base indicator. The study has verified the usefulness of Aspilia africana for phytochemical and medicinal purposes.