Abstract

The bulbs of Crinum ornatum were collected, dried and grounded. The powdered samples were subjected to distillation using a hydro-distiller (all-glass clevenger apparatus) to extract the essential oil present in the plant samples. GC and GC/MS analysis were carried out on the essential oil and was found to contain 18 compounds; hydrocarbons being the dominating group of compounds.  They are 2,4-dimethylhexane (1.51%), methyl benzene(5.49%), cis-1,3- dimethyl cyclohexane (2.08%), cis-decahydronaphthalene (5.49%), trans-decahydronaphthalene (2.08%), undecanoic acid, ethylester (1.51%), caryophyllene (1.51%), dodecanoic acid (1.51%), 14-methylpentanedecanoic acid methylester (20.89%), 2,6,10,15-Tetramethylheptanedecane (3.14%), n-hexanedecanoic acid (13.06%), eicosane (2.61%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (13.06%), heneicosane (13.14%), eicosanoic acid, ethylester (5.22%), nonacosane(2.35%), tetratriancontane (2.61%) and tetratetracontane (10.45%)   representing  97.71% of the total essential oil.  The cytotoxicity result of LC₅₀(µg/ml) value of 1.701 obtained through the brine shrimp toxicity assay indicated that the oil is toxic.

Keywords: Crinum ornatum, essential oils, cytotoxicity, hydrodistillation, gas chromatography/ mass spectroscopy.