Chemical composition by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and antioxidant activity of Cassia alata plant leaf

Abstract

Nature has provided humans with a diversity of medicinal plants employed in curing and taking care of many ailments. These medicinal plants contain many phytochemicals and bioactive compounds, which have been reported to possess some pharmacological properties. The study investigates the phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity shown by the Cassia alata plant leaf- a known medicinal plant. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was applied in evaluating the chemical composition while Ferric reducing activity power (FRAP) and 2, 2-Dipheny l-1-picryl hydrazyl radical activity inhibition techniques were utilized to evaluate the antioxidant activity of methanol extract of the plant leaf. Ascorbic acid served as the standard. For different amounts of 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg/ml, the result of inhibitions of DPPH were revealed to be 4.14±0.00%, 12.99±0.55%, 19.55±0.06% and 25.73±0.17% respectively while that of the standard ranged from 18.41±0.17% -88.39±0.09%. Also, the FRAP results at different amounts of 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/ml are detected to be 0.00±0.00%, 2.72±0.02%, 5.66±0.06% and 11.5±0.34% while the standard ranged from 5.09±0.16% - 52.99±0.21%.The GC-MS chemical assay of C. alata extracts afforded ten compounds which include 1-Butanol-3- methyl acetate, Pentadecane, 2, 6, 10, 14-tetramethyl., β-D-Glucopyranose-4-o-β- galactopyranosyl, Hexadecanoicacid- methyl ester, n-Hexadecanoic acid, 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid methyl ester [ZZZ], Phytol, 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic -2, 3- dihydroxyl propyl ester, Ethyl -iso-allocholate and Vitamin E. Hexadecanoic acid- methyl ester was found to the highest 77.1% in composition while 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic -2- 3- dihydroxyl propyl ester 8.6% was detected to be the least. Some of these bioactive compounds have been observed to have pharmacological and biological activities which are desirable in pharmaceutical formulations.