## 3 Results
### Acacia
#### 3.2.1 Acacia nilotica  
(L.) [PERSON]  
_Acacia nilotica_, commonly called the gum Arabic tree, _Bagaruva_ (Hausa, Nigeria), is widely recognized as a multipurpose tree. It is a medium-sized, prickly, nearly evergreen tree that can reach heights of 20-25 m, but in unfavourable growing conditions, it may remain a shrub. It has yellow flowers and long, grey pods that are constricted between seeds [61; 62]. It is among the species used for boosting soil fertility and has been introduced as fuelwood and forage for livestock. Due to its abundance of metabolites, _A. nilotica_ has both nutritional and therapeutic advantages. In many parts of the world, traditional medicine uses all parts of _A. nilotica_ to treat a variety of illnesses. It has been mentioned for the treatment of bone, mouth, and ear cancers as well as STDs. For the treatment of acute diarrhoea, the powdered bark of the plant is used with a small amount of salt. The pods are believed to be antispasmodic and antidyenteric. Antibacterial properties of the plant have also been demonstrated [63; 64]. _A. nilotica_ has been studied for its potential medicinal benefits, including its anti-diabetic, hypolipidemic, anti-leishman, anti-plasmodial properties, as well as its mollusicidal property against the schistosomiasis-transmitting snails _Bulinus truncates_ and _Biopmbalaria prefifferi_, and its cercarial and miracicidal properties against _Schistosoma mansoni_[65; 66]. The extract from the plant has shown activity against _S. aureus_, _E. coli_ and _gonococcus_. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were significantly inhibited by the plant's methanolic extract, whereas ethanolic extract was more effective against Gram-positive bacteria only. The methanol and aqueous extracts of the bark and pods inhibited HIV-1 Protease replicate activity [67; 68]. Additionally, it showed in vitro anti-plasmodial activity against the chloroquine-sensitive 3D7 and chloroquine-resistant and pyrimethamine-sensitive Ddz malaria parasites [69]. The extract significantly increased the reaction times of mice to a hot plate and prevented carrageenan- and yeast-induced pyrexia in rats [70]. Genetic toxicological research has established the antimutagenic and cytotoxic properties of _A. nilotica_. Studies in biology and epidemiology have shown that oxygen-based free radicals (ROS) interfere with the normal operation of macromolecules and are part of several biochemical processes (DNA). _A. nilotica_ polyphenolics have recently been proposed as a treatment for arsenic-induced neurotoxicity because of their potent antioxidant potential. The addition of these antioxidants to functional foods can stop the production of oxidative species, ultimately preventing the development of certain diseases [71; 72]. _A. nilotica_ demonstrated antimutagenic activity in test strains of _Salmonella typhimurium_ against the direct mutagens 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) and sodium azide (NaN\({}_{3}\)) as well as the indirect mutagens 2-aminofluorene (2-AF) [73]. _A. nilotica_ has been reported to contain alkaloids, fatty acid flavonoids, gum, polysaccharides, organic acids, and tannins. The gum yields between 2.7 and 4% of ash that is almost entirely composed of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It also contains sugars like galactose, L-arabinose, L-rhamnose, 4-aldobiquronic acids, and arabinbioses [64]. The gum contains 12-17% moisture and 2.7-4% ash. The majority of it is made up of arabin, a mixture of arabic acid and calcium. Gallic acid (**19**), ellagic acid (**20**), (-)-catechin (**21**), (-)-epigallocatechin-7-gallate, m-digallic acid (**22**), (+)-catechin, chlorogenic acid (**23**), gallbladder flavon-3,4-diol and robidandiol (7,3',4',5',-tetrahydroxyflavan-3,4-diol) are among the polyphenols that are abundant in _A. nilotica_. In addition, it has 44.5% linoleic acid and 29% oleic acid. 3-acetoxy-17-hydroxyandrost-5-ene (**24**), a steroid with dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity, has reportedly been found in the aerial parts of _A.