Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds present in varying levels in plants and help significantly in protecting them against pathogens. The chemical composition of acetone and ethanolic extracts of Daedalea elegans were determined using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Twenty-eight and fourty-four compounds were identified in the acetone and ethanolic extracts respectively. Only four compounds were found to dominate the acetone extract accounting for 83.58% [9,12-octadecadienoic acid (44.64%), n-hexadecanoic acid (23.59%), 9(11)-dehydroergosteryl benzoate (8.37%), octadecanoic acid (6.98%)] and six compounds for the ethanolic extract accounting for (70.04%) [cis-9-hexadecenal (23.44%), n-hexadecanoic acid (14.13%), n-propyl 9, 12-octadecadienoate (12.78%), 9(11)-dehydroergosteryl benzoate (8.88%), hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester (5.78%), and octadecanoic acid (5.03%)]. The extracts were tested against several bacteria and fungi by the agar well diffusion technique to ascertain their antimicrobial properties. No zone of inhibition was recorded for the extracts at both concentrations tested. Of the compounds identified in the extracts, only hexadecanoic acid has previously been reported to show antibacterial and antifungal potencies. This compound was present in the ethanolic extract of Daedalea elegans, albeit at a very low concentration (5.78%).

 

Key words: Antimicrobial, cis-9-hexadecenal, Daedalea elegans, 9(11)-dehydroergosteryl benzoate, hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester, n-propyl 9, octadecanoic acid, 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid, 12-octadecadienoate.