Okechukwu, C. L*, Omosun G, Obike, A. I and Iwuagwu, M. O
GC-MS and qualitative phytochemical screening of ethanol leaf extracts of Annona muricata Annona senegalensis and Annona squamosa were carried out. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, phenol, saponin, and steroid/triterpenes. Gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis revealed fifty-six compounds with their fragmentation pattern and molecular weight. GC-MS chromatogram of the ethanolic extract of A. muricata showed twenty peaks, indicating the presence of twenty compounds. The identified compounds found in higher quantities include (Z)-2-(henicos-12-en-1-yl)-6-methyl2H-pyran-4(3H)-one (37.83%), N-Aminopyrrolidine (20.38%), Propanoic acid, 2, 3-dichloro- (5.17%), etc. A. senegalensis showed six peaks, representing six compounds, with the highest quantity being ntegerrimine (57.472%). A. squamosa showed thirty peaks indicating the presence of thirty compounds with Longifolenaldehde (7.34%) as the compound with the highest concentration. The intrageneric phytochemical characters they share in common in this work presence of flavonoids and saponin. The diagnostic features include the presence of alkaloids in A. squamosa, the absence of phenol and tannin in A. muricata, and the absence of triterpenes in A. squamosa. All these phytochemicals are useful in their identification, classification, and delineation. The observations made in the similarities of characters of the three studied species support the present-day classification of the three species in the same genus (Annona).
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