GC-MS ANALYSES OF 60% ETHYL ACETATE/40% n-HEXANE EXTRACT OF Calotropis procera LEAF.

Abstract

In line with our interest in discovering plant-based drugs to treat infectious diseases. We report the GC-MS analyses of 60% ethyl acetate/40% n-hexane extract of Calotropis procera leaf. The leaf sample were collected, dried and pulverised to powder. The pulverised powder was extracted with 60% ethyl acetate/40% n-hexane and then further concentrated in vacuum to obtain the crude extract. The crude extract was analyzed using GC-MS with positive ion electrospray ionization. The chromatogram showed the presence of 22 compounds of which 21 were identified using fragmentation pattern and similarity to compounds in NIST database. The compounds identified were sesquiterpenes (α-himachalene, cedr-8-ene, cedr-8(15)-ene and geranyl-α-terpinene); sesquiterpene alcohols (α-acorenol, α-cubenol, cedrol, and epicedrol). In addition, employing HPLC we quantified tannic acid (4.469 mg/g), quercetin (2.103 mg/g), gallic acid (1.88 mg/g) and rutin (4.786 mg/g) in the crude extract. The preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of terpenes, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, steroids and flavonoids. The presence of these secondary metabolites is possibly responsible for the ethnomedicinal uses of this plant.