Comparative study of cape aloe and aloe secundiflqra, using chemical physical and instrumental methods

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the different anthraquinones in Aloe Second!flora, an indigenous species of Aloe growing around Pharmacy Department (Kenyatta National Hospital). This was composed with the anthraquinines present in cape Aloe species which is mainly produced from Cape Province(South Africa) First, chemical method was used to determine the quantities cf the enthraquinones by visually comparing the intesities of colour produced in the two species. Chemical methods showed that the Cape species had more anthraquinone than the Secundiflora. The Anthraquinores were then separated using thin layer chromatography method, both species being run on the same plate using same developing solvent that had previously been selected by trying different combination of solvents on glass slides. The Rf values were comparable; the conditions having been reasonably the same in the Developing chamber. The spots on T. L.C wore recovered using chloroform, which anthraquinones are soluble in. The chloroform portion was filtered and then run on Infra-red machine to try and determine any structural differences that resulted In the separation into spots of different heights.