Phytochemicals, proximate composition, minerals and volatile oil analysis of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. fruits

Abstract

Background: The use of herbal plants is adopted as a traditional medicine because of their minimal side effects. Most plants have bioactive ingredients and nutritional content that can potentially be used as treatments. One plant that has the potential to be a source of modern medicine is Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. Historically the use of traditional medicine as a treatment has enjoyed a good sense of trust among the public. The purpose of this study was to perform a qualitative phytochemical screening and proximate analysis of samples of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC. Methods: Used in this study were the phytochemical screening test using the thin-layer chromatography method and the proximate analysis using the AOAC method, which included measuring the ash, water, carbohydrate, total fat, protein, and crude fiber content of the samples. Hydrodistillation was used to isolate volatile oil from the sample, which was then identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The research method used is experimental. Results: From the test, it was found that the phytochemical content of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC is alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, steroids, and triterpenoids. Proximate analysis obtained ash content of 6.19%, water content of 6.35%, carbohydrates of 35.4%, total fat of 2.46%, protein of 16.2%, and crude fiber of 33.4%. Mineral test results prove that Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC contains Pb (<0.07 mg/Kg), Cd (<0.03 mg/Kg), As (<0.03 mg/Kg), Hg (0.0011 mg/Kg), Mn (43.1 mg/Kg), K (321 mg/Kg), Ca (0.22 mg/Kg), Mg (198 mg/Kg), Fe (52.1 mg/Kg), and Na (23.6 mg/Kg). The highest content of essential oil in Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC is geranyl acetate, with a concentration of 24.26%. Conclusions: This study concludes that the research findings of Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC indicate that the phytochemical, mineral, and volatile oil content of the sample is strongly related to its potential to be developed as food and medicine.