Abstract

Crassocephalum crepidioides is an edible plant which is also used in the ethnomedical treatment of stomach ulcer, indigestion, wounds, boils and burns in Africa and some other parts of the world. This study aims at identifying and characterizing the bioactive compounds present in C. crepidioides hexane fraction which may be responsible for the ethnomedicinal uses and reported activities of the plant. The crude extract from the powdered leaves of C. crepidioides was obtained with 70% methanol, followed by solvent partitioning with hexane to give the hexane fraction which was subjected to phytochemical profiling using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Spectrum interpretation was obtained from the library search of the database of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), while biological activities of compounds identified were predicted based on Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. The results revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds with various biological activities including Hexadecanoic methyl ester and α-Linolenic acid with reported hypocholesterolemic properties; Benzofuranone and Benzofuran with anticancer and antiviral activities; phenolic compounds and flavonoids with reported antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifungal activities among others. The study showed that C. crepidioides contains compounds with important biological activities which provide scientific support for some medicinal uses of the plant.

Key words: Phytochemicals, Crassocephalum crepidioides, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), ethnomedicinal.