COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SOLVENT POLARITY ON THE PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE OF Momordica charantia LEAVES

Abstract

A comparative study of the phytochemical compounds present in Momordica charantia leaves was examined using petroleum ether and ethanol organic solvents. Extraction of the compounds were achieved by Soxhlet extraction, while separation was carried out by Gas chromatographic technique. Each compound’s structure was characterized by Mass spectrometry. The results identified 20 phytochemical compounds in the ethanol extract which comprises of 4 aromatic compounds, 6 fatty acids, 4 esters, , and 1 sesquiterpene. 11 Phytochemicals were found in the petroleum ether extract, comprising 4 ester compounds, 3 fatty acids, 1 aromatic compound, 1 alkaloid, 1 di-terpene, and 1 triterpene. The plant leaves ethanol extract revealed a higher percentage of fatty acids, aromatic compounds, and terpenes, showing it was an excellent solvent for the classes of compounds identified. In the ethanol extract the most abundant fraction was n-Hexadecanoic acid (with 44.88%), while Methyl palmitate was the highest phytochemical found in the petroleum ether extract. The solvent and procedure of extraction largely impacted result of the study. More phytochemicals were found in the ethanol indicating it is an excellent polar solvent for extraction of Momordica charantia phytochemicals. Five phytochemicals were common to each extracts, showing varying amounts. The variation phytochemical composition of Momordica charantia highlights the effect of solvent polarity in extracting different classes of natural products from Momordica charntia leaves.