2024, Vol. 12, Issue 4, Part E

author(s)
Odo Christopher Emeka, Ogunka-Nnoka Charity, and Uwakwe Augustine Amadikwa

abstract
Essential oils (EOs) and phytochemicals have been noted to possess useful source of essential chemical substances which are made use of in numerous fields of study including in cosmetics industry, medical research, pharmaceutical industry, and food and beverage industry as well as in agric subsector. These phytonutrients have been discovered as a notable alternative for the treatment and prevention of a wide myriad of diseases plaguing man for some centuries. The extraction and characterization of Eos is the most important step in the identification of these plant chemical compounds. This study investigated the essential oil components in Hydrocotyle verticillata leaf. The dried leaf extracts of the plant was procured based on standard protocol and the essential oil extracted using Hydro-distillation method while the various components were identified and quantified using GC-MS from Agilient Technology. The identified components includes estragole [66.85%], 3. beta.17. beta.-dihydroxyetr-4-ene [10.89%], 1,3,7-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl [9.70%], Hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester [7.49%], and 1-methylbicyclo(3.2.1) octane [7.28%] in that order and have shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and neuro-stimulatory properties among others.