PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION BY GC-MS ANALYSIS OF THE SEEDS OF MUCUNA FLAGELLIPES EXTRACT.

Mucuna flagellipes seeds were analyzed for essential oil composition. The ethanol extract of the seeds was subjected for GC-MS studies. Ten phyto-constituents were identified from M. flagellipes comprising 60 % of esters and 30 % of carboxylic acids and 10 % hydrocarbon. 9-octadecenoic acid, ethyl ester constitutes the bulk of the oil (18.66 %), followed by linoleic acid, ethyl ester (16.99 %) and a carboxylic acid, 9-octadecanoic acid (16.71%). Other Compounds identified in the seeds were hexadecanoic acid (11.14 %), ethyl hexadecanoate (14.76 %), ethyl octadecanoate (4.18 %), Eicosanoic acid (1.39 %), ethyl icosanoate (0.84%), 3-hydroxypropyl-9-octadecenoate (1.11 %) and 9-methylbicyclo (3,3,1) nonane (14.21%). The presence of many esters in the seeds may be the reason the seeds enhance the aroma of soup. These compounds present in the plant made it possible for the use of M. flagellipes seed extract in phytomedicine in Nigeria for the treatment of different ailments. Key words : Mucuna, ester, phytomedicine, ailment