Some Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and Assessment of Four Solvents Extracts of Button Weed (Borreria verticillata)

Borreria vertcillata is a woody perennial shrub with false-button weedy herb belonging to the family (Rubiaceae), used for treating/curing various forms of diseases across the world since ancient times. Qualitative phytochemical screening of Borreria vertcillata pulverized whole plant was carried out using four different solvent extracts (N-hexane, chloroform, ethyl-acetate and methanol). The phytochemicals screeened contained alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, saponnins, anthraquinones and steroids. The extracts were then screened for the presence of some phytochemicals such as alkaloids, anthraquinones, saponnins, steroids, terpenes, flavonoids, tannins and glycosides. All the extracts contained alkaloids, triterpenes and glycosides present but flavonoids, saponnins and tannins only present in ethyl acetate and methanol while anthraquinones and steroids were totally absent from the extracts. Of all the extracts Ethyl acetate extracts had the most influential effects on pathogenic organisms such as Culex quinquefasciatus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candidas albican.