Identification and Quantification of Phytochemicals in Ethanol Leaf Extract of Emilia praetermissa

Abstract

Emilia pratermissa, an erect annual medicinal plant from the family Asteracea used in treatment of different illnesses by the local populace was worked on, to determine the phytocompounds responsible for its therapeutic properties. The phytochemicals from the  leaves was extracted using ethanol maceration method. The extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis using harbour methods of phytochemical analysis which revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, saponins, phenol and oxalate. The quantitative confirmation of the phytochemical analysis result using Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) revealed the presence of these phytocompounds with their concentration: Ammodendrine (5.95%), Phytate (14.50%), Hydroxylupanine (6.74%) Sapogenin (15.65%) Tannin (2.55%), Cardiac glycoside (1.00%), Epihedrine (9.05%), Anthocyanin (9.17%), Flavones (7.97%), Flavonone (5.25%), Proanthocyanidin (5.71%), Cyanogenic glycoside (3.96%) and Narigenin (8.39%). The presence of these phyto- compounds on the leaf extract of Emilia pratermissa proves the efficacy of this plant as acclaimed ethnomedically.