Toma, I., Isola, F. A. and Kabir, .Y 189 PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND DETERMINATION OF SOME ELEMENTS IN THE POD PULP AND STEM BARK EXTRACT OF CASSIA SIEBERIANA DC Toma, I. 1 , Isola, F. A. 1 and Kabir, Y. 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Adamawa State University, Mubi. 2 National Biotechnology Development Agency, P.M.B. 5118 Wuse, Abuja. Abstract This study is on phytochemical screening and determination of some elements in the pod pulp and stem bark of cassia sieberiana. People often take the pod pulp of cassia sieberiana. The phytochemical constituent was done by standard procedure for tannins, saponins, terpenoid, flavonoids, steroid, phlobatannins, carrdiac glycosides and reducing sugar. It also determines the elemental content of the plant using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer and Flame photometer. The result of this study revealed that tannins, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, phlobatannins, terpenoid, cardiac glycoside and reducing sugar were all present. Also, Na, K, Cu, Zn, Pb and Mn were present in the pod pulp and stem bark of cassia sieberiana. The results show that this plant contains elements of vital importance in man’s metabolism that are needed for growth and development, prevention and healing of diseases. It is hoped that novel drugs could be developed from this plant. Keywords: phytochemical, elemental content, cassia sieberiana Introduction Phytotherapy or Herbalism is a traditional medicinal practice base on the use of plant and plant extract. It is also known as Botanical medicine. (www.free encyclopedia. com, 2010). The use of medicinal plant as a source for relief from illness can be traced back over 500 millennia to written documents of early civilisation in China, India and near east, but it is doubtless an art as old as mankind (Thomson, 1978; Stockwell, 1988). A wide range of medicinal plant part is use for extract as raw drug and they possess varied medicinal properties. The different part used include root, stem, flower, fruit, twigs exudants and modified plant organs. It is to this effect that work was done on the pod pulp and stem bark of Cassia Sieberiana DC. Cassia Sieberiana DC belongs to the family leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae and grows up to10-20m high with drooping branches. The pods are cylindrical smooth, 40-60cm long and about 1.5cm in diameter; it is indehiscent and dark brown in colour. The plant was described by Gledhill (1991) as an open savannah tree found in drier area of forest and thickets. The plant is widely distributed in southern Sahel and Sudan savannah from Senegal to Cameroun as far as Sudan and the Republic of Congo (Michael, 2004). It is also found in most part of Nigeria, in the North-West, it is found in places like Zamfara, Zurumi and Sokoto. It is found widely distributed in Yobe, Borno, and some part of Adamawa state in the North eastern part of Nigeria. It is mostly found in Agodi in Ibadan and Awka in the south west and south east respectively (Keav et al , 1964). Its English names are drum stick, Africa laburnum (Dalziel, 1987). Its vernacular names in Nigeria include ‘Marga’ in Hausa, the Fulani people called it ‘Margaje’ and in Yoruba it is called ‘Ifo’ (Toma et al, 2009). The fruits, seed, leaf and root bark are use for the treatment of fever, jaundice, ache, gonorrhoea, pile, ulcer, debility, diuretics, arthritis and rheumatism. It is also used as