Phytochemical screening and GC-MS studies of some soup thickeners in southern Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this study was reveal in details the phytochemicals inherent in selected soup thickeners namely Brachystegia eurycoma (achi), Mucuna solannie (ukpo) Detarium microcarpuim (ofor). Matured clean seeds of the aforementioned thickeners processed into flour samples, extracted with methanols and resulting samples extract were subjected to qualitative phytochemical and GC-MS analysis. The phytochemical screened for included tannins, saponins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, phlobactanins, phenolics, proteins, reducing sugars, anthraquinnones, and alkaloids. While saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids were reportedly present in abundance (++), terpenoids and phlobactanins were completely absent (-) in Brachystegia eurycoma (achi) flour sample extract. However, analysis performed on ofor flour sample extract, revealed that flavonoids and alkaloids were more abundant (++), while tannins, terpenoids cardiac glycosides, phlotanins, phenolics, reducing surgar were completely absecent (-). Result of the analysis on ukpo flour sample extract indicated that saponins and proteins were more abundant (++), while phlobactanins and anthraquinones were reportedly absent (-). GC-MS analysis performed on achi flour sample extract revealed the presence of 19 compounds and the three most abundant of these reported compounds include n-hexadecanoic acid (26.44%), followed by 9, 12 octadecanoic acid (Z,Z) (18.51%) and Cis vaccenic acid (19.19%). Same analysis carried out on ofor flour sample extract, showed that 17 compounds were present of which two most abundant of them reportedly present were 9,12 octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z) (28.59%) and Cis vaccenic acid (16.54%). However, GC-MS result obtained on analysing ukpo flour sample extract revealed the presence of 34 compounds of which n-hexadecanoic acid (15.17%) and 9, octadecanoic acid (E) - (15.35%) are reportedly the most abundant. The result obtained from this study clearly shows that the aforementioned condiments can deliver therapeutic benefit by virtue of the vital phytochemicals reportedly inherent in them.