Chemical components of the essential oil from Moringa oleifera seeds Lam. (Moringaceae) and its effects on the growth of selected microorganisms

Abstract

5 ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera seeds extract s on certain pathogenic microbes , and it included also chemical identification the composition of the seed s by chromatographic and spectroscopic method s . A phytochemical inves tigation was also carried out on e thanol and water extract s of M.oleifera seeds which revealed an evidence for the presence of sterols , unsaturated sterols, saponins, tannins, ca r donolaides, d eoxy sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids , carbohydrates and reducing compounds . The fine powder of the M.oleifera seeds extract was extracted with several solvents , and the anti – bacterial effect on four bacterial strains and one fungal were determined. All extracts of each solvent had si gnificant anti - bacterial and fungal e ffect ; petroleum ether extract had the highest yield (soxhlet) 28.68%. The investigation technique of the oil was performed using GC - MS . T wenty compounds were completely identified and t he majo r compound was unsaturated fatty acid whereas the high percentage oleic acid 49.24 % . When thin layer c hromatography was applied, using different solvent s system s, sprayed with v anillin - s ulphuric acid, the extract exhibited visible spots . Six pure compounds were isolated using preparative thin layer chromatography (P TLC ) . These pure compounds were analyzed by UV/ Visible and Infra red (IR) spectroscopy