Studies on the Characterisation, Phytochemical and Functional Groups Assay of a Tropical Timber (Bombax brevicuspe) Stem

The elucidation of Bombax brevicuspe wood was analysed for thermal and physico-chemical
techniques. The results obtained were as follows: afterglow time 253.67 sec, flame duration 113.33
sec, flame propagation rate 20.3x10-2cm.s-1, ignition time 2.33 sec, thermal conductivity
51.34x102Umoh/cm, electrical conductivity 5.3x10-3Sm-1, ash content 3.4%, moisture content 29.97%,
oven dry density 22.3x10-2 g.cm-3, water imbibitions (at different time intervals: 30 mins 46.6%, 5hrs
87.6% and 24 hrs 148.9%), etc, Thin Layer Chromatographic (TLC) analysis gave Retardation factor
(Rf) value of 0.62 in the chloroform-methanol extract. The phytochemical screening showed the
presence of all the tested secondary metabolites except steroids which indicated its therapeutic
ability. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Ultraviolet (UV) spectra suggested that the active
compound might be 1,2,3-trisubstituted aromatic compound with C=O, O-H and C=N groups attached.
The chemical components analysis showed the presence of cellulose 43%, hemicelluloses 20%,
lignin 29% and other constituents in their right proportion. From the results, Bombax brevicuspe wood
could be used for various construction purposes and it also poses some medicinal ability due to the
presence of secondary metabolites.