Bioactive Compounds of Prosopis Africana Oil (African Mesquite) Using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (Gc-Ms) Technique

Phytochemicals (bioactive compounds) are generally regarded as chemicals of plant origin used for plants for growth, defense against competitors and pathogens. They also have a wide range of pharmacological activities including – antiarrhythmic, antioxidant, antimalarial, vasodilatory, antimicrobial, analgesics, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, hypo-cholesterolemic, anti-androgenic, antiviral, antifungal and immune-modulatory. This study was carried out to investigate the bioactive compounds of Prosopis africana oil (African mesquite) using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry technique. A total of 73 bioactive compounds (77.16 %) were identified based on their peak areas. The major compounds identified in the oil sample were; prosogerin A (29.90 %), caryophyllene (12.33 %), 2, 4-bis (1-phenylethyl) phenol (5.80 %), gallic acid (5.22 %), β-cyclocitral (3.11 %), β-sitosterol (2.50 %), α-terpinene (2.09 %) and ellagic acid (2.04 %). The other compounds were less than 1 %, however, they exert various pharmacological properties. It was concluded that Prosopis africana oil is loaded with phytochemicals and also has several health promoting properties and it can also be used as a remedy for the treatment of several ailments in human being and animals.