Abstract

GC-MS Evaluation of Bioactive Compounds and Antibacterial Activity of the Oil Fraction from the Stem Bark of Brachystegia Eurycoma Harms

Author(s): Okenwa Uchenna Igwe and Donatus Ebere Okwu

The ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Brachystegia eurycoma yielded reddish coloured substance (5.68 g). The extract was subjected to GC-MS studies. Nineteen phyto-constituents were identified with 41, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxy flavones (21.97%) constituting the bulk of the oil, followed by 9-octadecenoic acid (12.4%). Other compounds indentified include 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (10.16%), hexadecanoic acid (9.50%), 9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester (9.50%), hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester (4.59%), (4-(2-methyl-piperidine-1-sulfonyl)-phenyl)-(2-methyl-piperidin-1-yl)-methanone (3.93%), 2-Omethl- D-Mannopyranosa (3.61%), 2-hydroxy-5-methylisophthaladehyde (3.28%), 1,2,3-trihydroxyphenol (2.30%), ethyl 2-hydroxybenzyl sulfone (2.30%), 1,2,4-trimethyl-3-nitrobicyclo (3.3.1) nonan-9-one (2.30%), butanal, 4-hydroxy-3-methyl (1.97%), 1,6-anhydro-beta-D-glucopyranose (1.97%), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl ester (1.64%), N,N-diethyl-4-(morpholine-4-sulfonyl)-benzenesulfanamide (1.64%) and 9-octadecenamide (1.31%). The extract showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Staphylococcus aureus. These results suggest the use of the extract from the stem bark of Brachystegia eurycoma in the treatment of typhoid fever, wounds and infections in herbal medicine in Nigeria.