GC-MS and FTIR analysis of bioactive phytochemicals from ethanolic leaf extracts of Aloe secundiflora, Tephrosia vogelii & Nicotiana tabacum

Abstract

In the current study ethanol leave extracts of Aloe secundiflora, Nicotiana tabacum and Tephrosia vogelii were examined using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the key functional groups and phytochemical constituents. The FTIR spectra indicated the occurrence of functional characteristic peaks of primary and secondary amines, amides, alkanes, alkenes, aromatic and aliphatic amines in leaf extracts of Nicotiana tabacum while for Aloe secundiflora it indicated the presence of characteristic peaks associated with alcohols, phenols, alkanes, aldehydes, primary amines, aromatic and aliphatic amines functional groups. The FTIR spectra of Tephrosia vogelii indicated the presence of functional characteristic peaks of alcohols, phenols, alkanes, aldehydes, primary amines, nitro compounds, aromatics, aliphatic and aromatic amines. Alkanes, aromatic and aliphatic amines were present in all the three leaf extracts. The analysis using GC-MS for the ethanol leaf extracts of Aloe secundiflora indicated the presence of 25 phytochemical constituents, Nicotiana tabacum indicated 15 phytochemical constituents and Tephrosia vogelii indicated 7 phytochemical constituents. The two techniques complemented each other especially in detection of alkanes, alcohols and aromatic amines since both methods showed their presence.