Phytocemical lnvestigation of the Fixed Oil of the Seeds of Lepidium Sativum Growing In The Sudan

Abstract

The oil content of the seeds of Lepid/"um sativum (Brassicaceae) known as Garden cress was detennined by extraction with Petroleum ether 40 — 60 QC in a Soxl1let extraction apparatus. The physical properties such as colour, refractive index, relative density and viscosity were determined as well as the chemical properties namely: acid, saponification, iodine, peroxide and unsaponfication values. Some of the detennined values were in agreement with published data in the literature. Phytochemical and TLC screening of the seeds confirmed the presence of triterpenes, sterols, flavonoid aglycones and Phenolic compounds. The composition of oil was determined by GC/MS analysis and the following compounds were fotmd:- Unsaturated fatty acids Saturated fatty acids Hydrocarbons (heptacosane) Acetylenic compound Sterols Triterpenes 79.56% l6.87% 0.18% 0.'l3% 2.24% 0.14% The unidentified compounds represented approximately 1.23%. The low content of emcic (8.76%) in comparison with linolenic acid (52.55%) was observed and the persence of the triterpene derivative of gedunin (0.09) was discussed in relationship to its biogenetic origin. Data in the literature based on previous studies showed some differences in the composition and yield, which may be due to variations in climatic conditions, soil or geographic location.