Revista Brasileira de Gestão Ambiental e Sustentabilidade (2016): 3(6): 355-365. ISSN 2359-1412 http://dx.doi.org/10.21438/rbgas.030609 Gas chromatographic and antimicrobial analyses of phenolic compounds in Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Fabales: Fabaceae) Funmilayo Adelowo, Oluwole Oladeji* Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. P. M. B. 4000. Ogbomoso. Nigeria. *Email: [email protected]. Abstract. This present work is aimed at determining the chemical components in Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Fabales: Fabaceae), that Recebido: contains a large array of phenolic compounds which make it useful as 25/10/2016 antifungal and antibacterial. Despite a notable success in the recent researches, yet, the quantification of the chemical components has not Aceito: been actually specified. There is a claim by local people that S. alata 29/11/2016 can cure fungi and bacteria related diseases. Therefore, there is a need to ascertain this claim by examining the bioactive components present Publicado: in the plant. The Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis was performed 31/12/2016 using a Clarus 500 Perkin Elmer gas chromatography equipped with an Elite-5 capillary column with the addition of an absolute alcohol. Acesso Aberto Artigo completo The antimicrobial analysis was carried out using Agar Disc Diffusion Method. In the GC chromatogram, four prominent peaks were observed in leaf chromatogram, three peaks in flower chromatogram and five peaks in fruit chromatogram, respectively. The flower contained the highest amount of cinnamic acid (52.91%) and the fruit contained the least (17.03%). The presence of some bioactive metabolites could be responsible for the observed antifungal and antibacterial activities on the susceptible organisms studied. It could be concluded that this plant is natural sources of antimicrobial substances of high importance and are useful in chemotherapy. ORCID Keywords: Bioactive component; Chromatograph; Chemotherapy; 0000-0002-1949-2418 Phenolic compounds. Funmilayo Adelowo 0000-0003-3355-2488 Resumo. Análises cromatográfica gasosa e antimicrobiana de Oluwole Oladeji compostos fenólicos em Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Fabales: Fabaceae). O presente trabalho tem como objetivo determinar os componentes químicos em Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Fabales: Fabaceae) que contém uma grande variedade de compostos fenólicos que a tornam útil como antifúngica e antibacteriana. Apesar do sucesso notável nas pesquisas recentes, contudo, a quantificação dos componentes químicos não foi realmente especificada. Há uma reivindicação por povos locais que a S. alata pode curar fungos e doenças relacionadas às bactérias. Portanto, há uma necessidade de verificar esta afirmação examinando os componentes bioativos presentes na planta. A análise cromatográfica gasosa (CG) foi realizada utilizando uma cromatografia de gases Clarus 500 Perkin Elmer equipada com uma coluna capilar Elite-5 com a adição de álcool absoluto. A análise antimicrobiana foi realizada utilizando o método disco-difusão. No cromatograma de CG, foram observados quatro picos proeminentes no cromatograma de folhas, três picos no ISSN 2359-1412/RBGAS-2016-0050/3/6/9/355 Rev. Bras. Gest. Amb. Sustent. http://revista.ecogestaobrasil.net 356 Adelowo and Oladeji cromatograma de flor e cinco picos no cromatograma de fruto, respectivamente. A flor continha a maior quantidade de ácido cinâmico (52,91%) e o fruto continha o mínimo (17,03%). A presença de alguns metabólitos bioativos poderia ser responsável pelas atividades antifúngica e antibacteriana observadas nos organismos susceptíveis estudados. Pode-se concluir que esta planta é fonte natural de substâncias antimicrobianas de alta importância e são úteis em quimioterapia. Palavras-chave: Componentes bioativos; Cromatografia; Quimioterapia; Compostos fenólicos. Introduction pigmentation, UV-protection, plant defense against pathogens and legume nodulations Senna alata (L.) Roxb. (Fabales: (Wagner et al., 2002). Fabaceae) (previously named Cassia alata) GC is one of the most widely used is a medicinal plant of Fabaceae Family. It analytical techniques (Scot, 1998). They has many common names such as candle have some characteristics such as small bush, acapulo, ringworm bush and calabra samples (µl or µg needed), high resolution, bush. It is a shrub with usually an average reliable, relatively simple and cheap, non- height of between 1 and 5 m and has destructive, sensitive detectors (easy ppm, horizontally spread branches. Its leaves are often ppb) and highly accurate par pinnate of between 30 to 60 cm long quantification (1-5% RSD. With the and consisting of 8 to 20 pairs of leaflets commercial introduction of gas (Farnsworth and Bunyapraphatsara, 1992). chromatography (GC) 50 years ago, it has S. alata are able to synthesize a been used to help determine food multitude of organic molecules or composition and discover our nutritional phytochemicals, referred to as “secondary needs. Furthermore, GC has been metabolites” such as phenolic compounds considered to be the only adequate (Shahidi et al., 2004). Phenolic compounds approach to measure many of the organic are plant secondary metabolites that contaminants that occur at trace constitute one of the most common and concentrations in complex food and widespread groups of substances in plants. environmental sample (Jennings et al., The term “phenolics” or “polyphenols” are 1997). It has also been a major instrument defined as substances that possess an in helping humans realize that we must use aromatic ring having one or more hydroxyl caution with agricultural and industrial substituent and functional derivatives such chemicals to avoid harming our health, the as esters, methyl ethers, glycosides, etc food supply, and the ecosystem that we rely (Kliebenstein, 2004). Each class of phenolic upon for sustainability. The scientific compounds has distinctive absorption discoveries made with the help of GC in characteristics which make them act as agricultural and food sciences have good antimicrobial agents among many contributed to more plentiful and healthier other health benefits (Makinde et al., 2007). food, longer and better lives, and an Several classes of phenolics have been expanding population of 6 billion people. categorized on the basis of their basic The applications of GC in qualitative and skeleton; simple phenol (benzoquinones, quantitative analysis have contributed a lot phenolic acid, hydroxycinnamic acids, in analytical chemistry of food analysis coumarins, phenylpropanes) (Whiting, (McGorrin and Meyers, 2000), and 2001) and complex phenols (flavonoids, particularly food applications involving tannins, lignins) (Osbourn et al., 2003). GC, such as carbohydrates and amino acids, Phenolic compounds are widespread in the lipids and accompanying lipophilic plant kingdom; serve specific functions in compounds, aroma and flavors, and antimicrobial activities, flower pesticide residues (Careri and Mangia, Rev. Bras. Gest. Amb. Sustent., 2016, v. 3, n. 6, p. 355-365. Gas chromatographic and antimicrobial analyses of phenolic compounds in Senna alata 357 2001). In the field of plant chemistry, GC is Collection of sample sometimes incorporated with mass The samples (S. alata) were spectrometer in analyzing organic collected in a farm in Odokoto Area, compounds present in plants, the peak area Ogbomoso, Nigeria, between May and and retention in the chromatogram are August, 2015 and identified by the important to quantify and qualitate these herbarium unit of the Department of Pure compounds. and Applied Biology, Lautech, Ogbomoso. The use of herbal medicine for the The leaves, fruit and the flower samples of treatment of bacteria and fungi that caused S. alata were collected separately and put in related diseases gave rise to the different polythene bags. The samples were introduction of antibiotics or natural drugs spread on a flat surface and air-dried for 25 (Akinyemi et al., 2000). Plants (S. alata) days. are an important source of medicines and play a key role in world health. Almost all Sample preparation cultures from ancient times to today have The dried samples (fruit, leaf and used plants as medicine. Medicinal plants flower) were pulverized and sieved using a are important to the global economy, sieve of mesh size of 20 mm. The sieved approximately 85% of traditional medicine samples were stored in air-tight containers preparations or drugs involve the use of and put in a refrigerator at 4 °C for further plants or plant extracts (Vieira and Skorupa, analysis. 1993). The growing rate of the activities of microbes increases every day. Virtually Extraction everything that surrounds man are Soxhlet apparatus was used for the contaminated and polluted with these extraction and was carried out based on the microbes (Beisaga et al., 2011). In recent method of Adelowo and Oladeji (2016). times, people depend on medicinal plants The pulverized samples were weighed. 15 g without the knowledge on the chemical each of the leaves, flowers and fruits composition of the plant. In some countries, samples were weighed separately. They National Health Surveillance Agency were then kept in different extraction (ANVISA) has canceled the registration of thimble. 200 mL of ethanol and methanol these products, and their use was were used for the extraction. The refluxing discontinued because of a lack of studies to was carried out for 6 hours. The extracts characterize and analyze the plant raw were obtained in the quick-fit flask. material and ensure