PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF HEALTHY Solanum lycopersicum L. LEAVES USING GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY- MASS SPECTROMETRY (GC-MS)
Keywords:
Solanum lycopersicum, medicinal plant, phytochemical screening, GC-MSAbstract
Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) is one of the most consumed fruit vegetables and one of the best sources of phytochemicals which makes a significant contribution to the daily intake of rich bioactive compounds. This study was conducted to identify the phytochemical characteristics of healthy S. lycopersicum leaves, mostly regarded as a waste, using Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique to determine the chemical constituents. Fresh matured leaves of S. lycopersicum were washed with sterile distilled water to remove contaminants. They were air dried and pulverized into semi-coarse powder which was later extracted using 70% methanol. The preliminary phytochemical analysis was carried out using standard procedures. Another sample of the leaves was dried and pulverized to powder in a mechanical grinder, weighed and transferred to a flask. It was treated with petroleum ether, incubated overnight and strained through a Whatman filter paper. The filtrate was then concentrated and analyzed using Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Qualitative phytochemical analysis showed absence of anthraquinones glycosides, cardiac glycosides, tannins, and terpenoids, while saponins, phenols, phlobatannins, alkaloids, steroids, and flavonoids were present. The GC-MS identified fourteen compounds in the petroleum ether extract of Solanum lycopersicum leaves which include: Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, 4-methylene-1-(1-methylethyl)-; γ-Terpinene; Terpinen-4-ol; Bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-en-2-one, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-; Eugenol; Humulene; Naphthalene, 1,2,3,4,4a,7-hexahydro-1,6-dimethyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-; Caryophyllene oxide; 1H-3a,7-Methanoazulene, octahydro-1,4,9,9-tetramethyl-; Benzene, 1-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-methyl; Thymol; Phenol, 2-ethyl-4,5-dimethyl-; Dimethyl phthalate and Pyrazine, 2,3-diethyl-5-methyl-.Solanum lycopersicum leave extract contains phyto-constituents that may have potentials for pharmacological activities.
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