Abstract:
Medicinal plants are various plant used in herbals and thought by some to possess medicinal properties due to their bioactive ingredients. This study was aimed at identifying the phytochemical compounds present in the methanol fractions of Alstonia boonei and Glyphaea brevis leaves using GC-MS technique. The phytochemical analysis of the Alstonia boonei fraction revealed the presence of tannins (3.02±0.28 mg/g), saponins (2.26±0.21 mg/g), alkaloids (3.68±0.23 mg/g), flavonoids (4.22±0.18 mg/g), terpenoids (2.20±0.14 mg/g) and glycosides (1.94±0.08 mg/g). Similarly phytochemicals present in the methanol fraction of Glyphaea brevis leaves includes; alkaloids (5.28±0.72 mg/g), saponins (2.07±0.08 mg/g), flavonoids (3.94±0.06 mg/g), terpenoids (2.15±1.10 mg/g) and cardiac glycosides (3.05±0.21 mg/g). Steroids were not detected in both fractions. The GC-MS analysis of Alstonia boonei leaves and Glyphaea brevis leaves revealed nine peaks and twelve peaks respectively which represent the nine and twelve bioactive compounds. The major bioactive components present in the methanol fraction of Alstonia boonei were; 3, 7, 11, 15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (9.41 %), n-Hexadecanoic acid (15.69 %), Phytol (8.66 %), 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (26.57 %) and Squalene (32.32 %), while the minor compounds present were; 1-Dodecanol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-1 (1.35 %), Cyclopropane nonanoic acid, 2-[(2-butylcyclopropyl) methyl]-, methyl ester (1.96 %), and Phen-1, 4-diol, 2, 3-dimethyl-5-trifluoromethyl-(1.40 %). The major bioactive compounds identified in the methanol fraction of Glyphaea brevis leaves were Cycloheptasiloxane tetradecamethyl- (5.88 %), Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (6.55 %), 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid, 2, 3-dihydroxypropyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)- (9.13 %), Phytol (24.57 %) and 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid (37.12 %), while the minor compounds present were; Cyclooctasiloxane, hexadecamethyl (1.50 %), Cyclononasiloxane Octadecamethyl- (1.49 %), Ethanol, 2-(9-Octadecenyloxy)-,(Z)- (2.88 %), 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid, 2, 3-bis[(trimethylsiliy)oxy] propyl ester, (Z,Z,Z)-(1.86 %), Hexadecanoic acid, 1-(hydroxymethyl)-1, 2-ethanediyl ester (3.51%) and Linoleic ethy ester (3.61 %). Alstonia boonei and Glyphaea brevis leaves are well known for there potential pharmacological properties. Amongst these bioactive properties possessed by these plants include; antimicrobial (3, 7, 11, 15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol), anti-inflammatory (3, 7, 11, 15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol), antioxidant (n-Hexadecanoic acid), anticancer (9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-) and antitumour (Squalene). These properties exhibited by these plants are attributed to the presence of inherent bioactive components. Thus, pure compounds or standardized extracts or fractions from these plants possibly can provide unlimited opportuninties for new drug because of the unmatched availability and chemical diversity of bioactive principles.
