Abstract

R. G. Ayo, O. T. Audu and J. O. Amupitan

The seeds of Khaya senegalensis were extracted using petroleum ether and methanol with the aim of determining the physico-chemical properties of the seed oil and the cytotoxicity of the two extracts. The refractive index of the oil was found to be 1.458, while the relative density was 0.953. The iodine and saponification values were 88.40 and 195.58, respectively. The peroxide and acid values were 4.6 and 2.69, respectively. Brine shrimp lethality bioassay of petroleum ether and methanol extracts of the seeds showed that the extracts were moderately cytotoxic at high concentration. The LC50 values using Probit analysis method for petroleum ether and methanol extracts were 827.39 and 51.79 µg/ml, respectively. Therefore, the seed oil of K. senegalensis was found to be non-drying oil and the extracts from the seeds may contain bioactive compounds of potential therapeutic and prophylactic significance.