GC-MS analysis of oil rich in polyenoic fatty acid methyl esters from leaves of Justicia secunda Vahl growing abundantly in the lowland rain forests of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Abstract

This study reports for the first time the GC-MS analyses of the chemical constituents present in the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves of the tropical plant Justiciasecunda Vahl. The results reveal that the oil is rich in polyunsaturated or polyenoic fatty acid methyl esters with well-known biological activities. The fatty acid esters account for 46.66% of the compounds detected with the most abundant being 9, 12, 15- Octadecatrienoic acid, methyl ester (36.56%). The other compounds of significant quantity identified are 9-Octadecenamide (7.12%), E-14-Hexadecenal (6.3%), Trifluoroacetoxy hexadecane (6.00%), 1-Heptadecene (5.68%), Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (Methyl Palmitate) (5.06%), 9, 12- Octadecadienoic acid, methyl ester (4.33%), Phytol acetate (3.40%).These compounds were identified by comparing their mass spectra with fragmentation patterns of standards available in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST2.0) and WILEY 7 libraries.