Chemical compostion of the leaf oils of Croton zambesicus Müll.-Arg. grown in Lagos, South-West Nigeria

The chemical composition of the leaf essential oil of Croton zambesicus Müll.-Arg., collected from Agbara-Lagos, Nigeria, was analysed by means of Gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and Gas chromatography coupled with Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixty constituents accounting for 98.9% of the total oil contents were identified from the oil sample. The classes of compounds identified in the oil were monoterpene hydrocarbons (35.3%), oxygenated monoterpenes (22.9%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (32.4%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (5.6%). The oil was dominated by β-pinene (15.1%), β-caryophyllene (12.6%), germacrene D (10.9%), camphor (7.3%), linalool (7.0%), sabinene (6.4%) and α-pinene (5.2%). Aims: The aim of the research is to investigate the volatile constituents from C. zambesicus harvested in Lagos, Nigeria. Study Design: Extraction of essential oil from the air-dried leaf samples of C. zambesicus and investigation of its chemical constituents. Place and Duration of Study: Leaf samples of C. zambesicus were collected from Agbara, Lagos, on April 2011. Methodology: Air-dried and pulverized leaves were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger-type apparatus to obtained pale yellow volatile oil whose chemical constituents was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Results: A total of sixty compounds were identified, amounting to 98.9%of the total oil contents. The major were compounds β-pinene (15.1%), β-caryophyllene (12.6%), germacrene D (10.9%) and camphor (7.3%). Variations in compositional pattern were observed between this result and the previous studies. Conclusion: The literature about the C. zambesicus indicates a high variability in the chemical composition of the essential oils.