Comparative Pharmacognostic, Phytochemical, and Antioxidant Profiling of Pink and White <i>Cola acuminata</i> Seed Varieties
Keywords:
Cola acuminata, pharmacognostic evaluation, extractive value, antioxidant activity, GC-MS, seed varietiesAbstract
Background: Cola acuminata is an economically and culturally important West African plant. Pink and White seed varieties are frequently used interchangeably despite limited comparative pharmacognostic and compositional evidence. This study provides a pharmacognostic evaluation of both seed varieties, examining their anatomical characteristics, physico-chemical properties, and antioxidant activities.
Methods: Authenticated Pink and White C. acuminata seeds were examined macroscopically and microscopically. Extractive values, proximate composition, and elemental composition were determined. The n-hexane extracts were profiled by GC–MS. Ethyl-acetate and methanol extracts were evaluated using DPPH radical-scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays.
Results: The varieties differed in colour and selected descriptive microscopic features. Methanol and water gave the highest extractive yields in the Pink variety (32%) and White variety (26%). Proximate composition did not differ significantly between varieties (all p > 0.05). Caffeine had a higher relative GC-MS peak area in the Pink variety (68.27%) than in the White variety (56.77%). The White methanol extract showed the lowest DPPH IC value (21.28 μg/mL), whereas the Pink methanol 50 extract showed the highest observed FRAPvalue (187.45 μM FeSO /g dry sample).
Conclusion: Pink and White C. acuminata seeds showed comparable proximate composition but descriptive differences in pharmacognostic features, extractive yield, chemical profile, and in vitro antioxidant responses. Further replicated chemical analyses are required to confirm these observations.
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