title: GC/GCMS analysis of the petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of Moringa oleifera roots.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the phytochemical constituents from petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) roots using GC/GC-MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5.11 kg fresh and undried crushed root of M. oleifera were cut into small pieces and extracted with petroleum ether and dichloromethane (20 L each) at room temperature for 2 d. The concentrated extracts were subjected to their GC-MS analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The GC-MS analysis of the petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of M. oleifera roots, which showed promising biological activities, has resulted in the identification 102 compounds. These constituents belong to 15 classes of compounds including hydrocarbons, fatty acids, esters, alcohols, isothiocyanate, thiocyanate, pyrazine, aromatics, alkamides, cyanides, steroids, halocompounds, urea and N-hydroxyimine derivatives, unsaturated alkenamides, alkyne and indole. GC/GC-MS studies on petroleum ether extract of the roots revealed that it contained 39 compounds, belonging to nine classes. Cyclooctasulfur S8 has been isolated as a pure compound from the extract. The major compounds identified from petroleum ether extract were trans-13-docosene (37.9%), nonacosane (32.6%), cycloartenol (28.6%) nonadecanoic acid (13.9%) and cyclooctasulfur S8 (13.9%). Dichloromethane extract of the roots was composed of 63 compounds of which nasimizinol (58.8%) along with oleic acid (46.5%), N-benzyl-N-(7-cyanato heptanamide (38.3%), N-benzyl-N-(1-chlorononyl) amide (30.3%), bis [3-benzyl prop-2-ene]-1-one (19.5%) and N, N-dibenzyl-2-ene pent 1, 5-diamide (11.6%) were the main constituents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study helps to predict the formula and structure of active molecules which can be used as drugs. This result also enhances the traditional usage of M. oleifera which possesses a number of bioactive compounds.
authors.affiliation: HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shaheen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faizi
authors.affiliation: HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumbul
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Science Campus, Karachi-75300, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammed Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Versiani
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, Karachi-74600, Pakistan ; Dr. HMI Institute of Pharmacology and Herbal Sciences, Hamdard University, Karachi-74600, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Rubeena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saleem
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hamdard University, Karachi-74600, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sana
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Science Campus, Karachi-75300, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hira
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
keywords: Cyclooctasulfur S8; GC/GCMS; Moringa oleifera; Moringaceae; Petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts; Roots