**2.6 Peppertree crude methanolic extract and fractions**

The dried leaves were put in contact with petroleum ether for six days, having the solvent freshened when saturated. After removing the filtrated with petroleum ether the leaves were exposed to methanol for nine days having the solvent freshened when necessary (Harbone, 1998). The concentrated crude methanolic extract was partitioned using the following gradient elution: petroleum ether, petroleum ether: dichloromethane 1:1, dichloromethane, dichloromethane: ethyl acetate 1:1, ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate: methanol 1:1 and methanol.
