Phytochemical studies of Melilotus officinalis

Abstract

GC-MS analysis of the n-hexane extract of Melilotus officinalis seeds revealed twelve compounds with a combined area percentage of 98.33% predominantly, (9Z,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (20.22%, 366 ppm), 14-methylpentadecanoic acid (19.52%, 353 ppm) and (9E)-octadecenoic acid (15.94%, 289 ppm). Two compounds, namely, cis-coumaric acid-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (cis-melilotoside, 1) and 1,2-benzopyrone (coumarin, 2), were isolated from the MeOH extract of the seeds of M. officinalis. The structures of isolated compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, UV-Vis, and FTIR. The MeOH extract of M. Officinalis was also tested for its antioxidant activity using DPPH assay. The extract showed 29.87% DPPH inhibition at concentration of 100 μg/mL.                     KEY WORDS: Melilotus officinalis, Fatty acid methyl esters, Esterification, GC-MS, DPPH radical scavenging assay, Antioxidant activity   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(1), 141-150. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i1.12