Phytochemical And Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric (GC-MS) Analyses of Zanthoxylum Zanthozyloides Leaf

Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides is a medicinal plant widely used in folkloric medicine of Africa and Asia for the treatment of ailments such as inflammation, cancer, anemia and liver damage. The phytochemical and GC-MS analyses of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides leaf were carried out using standard methods. Qualitative phytochemical revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides and tannins from the sample. Twelve (12) chemical constituents were identified from GC-MS analysis of the sample which include ethylcyclohexane (0.43%), 1,3-cyclopentadiene (0.60%), 5-(1-methylethylidene) (0.91%), heptane (2.94%), octa-1,3,5,7-tetraene (1.60%), isopropyl benzene (cumene) (2.64%), 3,5-dimethylhepta-3,-dien-l-yne (6.601%), oct-2-ene (12.517%), oct-2-ene (12.62%), heptanoic acid (16.44%), hepta-3,5-dien-l-ol (30.53%), and hept-3-en-1-ol(12.17%). Result obtained showed that the leaf extract of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides has hepta-3, 5-dien-l-ol (30.53%) as the highest and ethylcyclohexane (0.43%) as the lowest chemical compound. These relative diverse chemical constituents may be responsible for the medicinal properties of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloide leaf.