Initially, the extracts were fractionated by
liquid/liquid partition with chloroform to separate
the lipophilic compounds. The presence of secondary
metabolites of the classes listed above was determined
in water-alcohol fraction using the following reactions:
1) the presence of phenols and tannins was determined
by reaction with ferric chloride (FeCl3) at 2 % (w/v); 2)
the presence of flavonoids was investigated by Shinoda
reaction and was observed by comparative thin layer
chromatography; 3) to analyze the presence of xanthone
was used magnesium in hydrochloridric acid; 4) index
of foam was used to indicate the presence of saponins;
5) the Liebermann-Bouchard reaction was used to
investigate the presence of triterpens and steroids; and
6) after acid-base extraction, the presence of alkaloids
was determined by general reactions of precipitation