Phytochemical Screening of Aqueous, Ethanolic and Methanolic Extracts of Morus mesozygia Linn. Stapf., Leaves

Aim: This study focused on the phytochemical screening of aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic leaf extracts on the species Morus mesozygia linn.

Study Design: This study was a cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Plant Anatomy and Physiology Research Laboratory, University of Port Harcourt, between July, 2018 and November, 2018.

Methodology: Morus mesozygia linn leaves were collected and washed with distilled water, air dried for seven days and milled into fine powder. Maceration method was use to extract the powdered leaf into a brownish paste using three different solvents; distilled water, ethanol and methanol. The different plant extracts were subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening for alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates, tannins and anthraquinones. Quantitative phytochemical analysis was done using a Gas chromatography – Mass Spectroscopy machine.

Results: Results showed that the powdered Morus mesozygia linn leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates, tannins, but not anthraquinones. The methanolic and aqueous leaf extracts contained high amounts of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, carbohydrates and tannins, while the ethanolic extract also contained high amounts of the aforementioned phytochemicals in the same proportion, but had saponins in moderate amounts. The result of the GC-MS analysis showed that the three extracts contained complex compounds in varying amounts.

Conclusion: Phytochemical screening test of Morus mesozygia has revealed the presence of the substances like alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, oils, phenolic compounds, tannins and some complex compounds discovered using GC-MS technique.