Chemical Constituents of Leaf Essential Oil of Cochlospermum planchonii (Hook Ef. x Planch) Grown in Nigeria

Abstract

Leaf essential oil of Cochlospermum planchonii was obtained by hydrodistillation. GC and GC/MS analysis of the oil revealed that, the oil was rich in sesquiterpenes(51.7%). Nonterpenic and monoterpenic compounds constituted 35.5 and 11.9% of the oil. The principal constituents of the oil were; methylcyclopentane (26.3%), caryophyllene (11.4%), germacrene-D (8.8%), caryophyllene oxide (6.5%), copaene (5.6%), 2 – methylpentane (5.0%), δ-cadinene (4.9%), β-myrcene (4.3%) and α – cadinol (4.0%).In all, terpinic compounds that are biologically active against disease causing organisms constituted 63.6% of the oil. With the predominant of this class of metabolite, the oil could serve as therapeutic agents for pathogenic diseases.