Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil From the Leaves of Lannea acida

Abstract

Lannea acida is a multipurpose tree. Lannea acida leaves are widely used by local communities as dye, food and medicines. Leaves of Lannea acida was subjected to hydrodistillation extraction method to obtain its essential oil fraction. The essential oil fraction was analysed using Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy technique to determine its chemical constituents. Geranyl isobutyrate (3.40%), carophyllene (0.67%), α- ionone (6.93%), β – ionone (7.63%), 2- naphythalenemethanol (0.54%), Neophytadiene (0.95%), 6,10,14 – trimethyl -2- pentadecanone (5.72%), Nerolidol(1.99%), 9-octadecenamide (0.89% and phytol (46.05%) were the constituents of the essential oil fraction from the leaves of Lannea acida. Phytol was the major constituent with 46.05 %. Antioxidant activity on the essential oil was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The Radical scavenging activity of the leaves essential oil fr/action was carried out at concentrations from 1.00 to 0.125mg/ml. It showed a significant % radical scavenging activity at 76.88 at concentration of 1.00 mg/ml which is comparable to t/he % radical scavenging activity of standard drug ascorbic acid at the same concentration. The presence of these compounds could make Lannea acida a potential candidate in medicinal industries