SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF BIOACTIVE COMPONENTS OF CENCHRUS CILIARIS L. BY GC-MS ANALYSIS

Abstract

Plants are rich source of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activities. Cenchrus ciliaris L. is an important forage plant belonging to
grass family (Poaceae). The objective of the present investigation was to characterize possible bioactive phytochemical constituents from the whol e
plant of C. ciliaris L. using methanol by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The shade-dried plant powder was extracted with
methanol using Soxhlet extractor and crude extract was subjected to GC-MS. The phytochemical constituents were investigated using Perkin-Elmer
gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while the mass spectra of the compounds found in the extract was matched with the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) and Willey 8 library. Maximum % area is found for Stigmasta-5, 22-Dien-3-ol, is present in maximum amount
(12.68%) with RT = 36.461 min. in the methanolic root extract. 6,6-Dideutero-nonen-1-ol-3, is present in maximum amount (31.92 %) with
RT=12.088 min. in the methanolic stem extract and Pentadecanoic acid is present in maximum amount (20.04%) with RT= 16.328 min. in the leaf
extract of Cenchrus ciliaris L. Green plants synthesize and preserve a variety of biochemical compounds, these products include flavonoids, phenols,
saponins, terpenes, steroids and glycosides. C4 plants, specifically in warm conditions may show more potentialities to defend themselves. These
compounds are commercially important and are used by pharmaceutical industries as well as the traditional practitioners for making herbal/synthetic
drug formulations.