Identification and Quantification of Bioactive Compounds in Different Extracts of Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) Root Using GC–MS Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and describe the chemical constituents of various crude extracts derived from the root of Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae), an ethnomedicinal plant commonly found in Nigeria. The root of Morinda lucida was dried at room temperature and pulverized into powder. The soxhlet extraction technique was used with solvents of different polarities, namely hexane, chloroform, and methanol, to obtain three distinct extracts. Subsequently, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was carried out on the extracts. A total of 69 compounds were identified from the different extracts of M. lucida root. The hexane extract had 3 major compounds and 8 minor ones, with diethyl phthalate being the most prominent with 87.10% peak area. The chloroform extract had 24 compounds, with phthalic acid, 2-Ethylhexyl isohexyl ester being the highest with 16.61% peak area. Six of these compounds had more than 5%, while the remaining 18 ranged from 2.50% to 1.00%. The ethanol extract contained 36 compounds, with 6 compounds being greater than 5% and the remaining 30 less than 5%. The highest percentage in the ethanol extract was 2-Pyrrolidinone, 1-methyl-, at 16.05%. In terms of the biological and pharmacology benefits, these chemicals are regarded as crucial. Also, each of the three extracts has a few similarities in their physicochemical properties that can be related to the natural substances that are abundantly found in M. lucida root. The GC-MS analysis of different extracts of M. lucida revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds that have potential therapeutic properties.