Comparative Screening of Phytochemical Compounds in Scent Leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) and Bitter Leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) Extracts

Abstract

Phytochemical screening of the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina revealed the presence of alka-loids, flavonoids, steroid, tannins, and caroternoid. The best solvent of extraction for both plants was the hot water followed by the cold water even though they were unable to liberate flavonoids from bitter leaf extracts. The washed bitter leaf extracts contained more alkaloids than the extracts made from the unwashed leaf though the differences were not significant (washed bitter leaf-7.32% from hot water and 6.83% from cold water, unwashed bitter leaf-6.12% from hot water and 5.32% from cold water). The ethanolic extracts of bitter leaf liberated the flavonoids while the hot water was also able to liberate it from the scent leaf. Carotenoids were liberated from the extracts of both plants though the quantities were not significantly different.The study showed that bitter leaf and scent leaf contain similar antimicrobial compounds but former contains more quantity.