Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Phytochemicals in Methanolic Extracts of Hurricane Weed (<i>Phyllanthus amarus</i> Schumach. &Thonn) Plant

Abstract

The phytocomponents of the leaf and root extracts of Phyllanthus amarus (Euphorbiaceae) were studied. The constituents of the leaves and roots were identified and quantified by using GC-MS. Result from the phytochemical analyses showed the presence of saponins, tannins, phenolics, anthocyanins, and glycosides in both leaves and root of the plant. Alkaloids and triterpenoids were, however only absent in the root of P. amarus but present in the leaves of the plant. Flavonoids, coumarins and steroids were absent in the leaves but present in the root part. The mean concentration of the phytochemicals investigated in leaves are 0.73±0.01%, 1.85±0.03%, 1.12±0.01%, 1.80±0.01%, 1.59±0.50%, 0.13±0.10%, and 0.86±0.01%, for saponins, tannins, phenolics, anthocyanins, alkaloids, triterpenoids, and glycosides respectively, while the mean concentration of the phytochemicals investigated in roots are 0.91±0.01%, 1.53±0.03%, 0.70±0.01%, 2.97±0.10%, 2.47±0.03%, 0.62±0.01%, 0.90±0.01% and 2.02±0.10% for saponins, tannins, phenolics, steroids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, glycosides and coumarins respectively. Furthermore, the GC-MS analysis of methanol extracts of the leaves and root of P. amarus revealed the presence of three medicinally important bioactive compounds, which are: 9-Octadecenoic acid which has percentage of abundance of 92.23% and 82.46% in leaves and roots of the plant respectively, followed by n-Hexadecanoic acid and Tetradecanoic acid with their corresponding percentage of abundance of 7.7% and 17.54% for leaves and root. These analytical results suggest the plantto possess a significant role in phyto-medicine. The importance of this plant was discussed in line with the role they play in ethnomedicinal life of the people.

Keywords: Phyllanthus amarus; Phytochemicals; GC-MS; methanolic extract; Phytocomponents