Determination of chemical compositions of Cymbopogon citratus leaves by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method

Abstract

Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemongrass, is a tropical perennial herb belonging to the family Poaceae (true grasses). According to tradomedicine practitioners, this plant is claimed to have therapeutic potentials in numerous diseases. This study is aimed at determining the possible bioactive components of leaves of the C. citratus using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Six compounds were identified in the methanol leaf extract and they include; hexadecanoic acid (8.11%), hepta-9,10,11-trienoic acid (17.43%), octadecenoic acid (8.41%), 2-ethenyltetradecan-1-ol (13.28%), eicosane aldehyde (37.56%) and 1-ethoxyoctadecane (15.20%) as the major chemical constituents. The presence of these compounds in the plant extract may at least be responsible for the pharmacological properties of Cymbopogon citratus and thus recommended as plant of phytopharmaceutical importance.