Abstract

Phytochemicals are chemical compounds often referred to as secondary metabolites. Twenty eight bioactive phytochemical compounds were identified in the methanolic extract of Nigella sativa. The identification of phytochemical compounds is based on the peak area, retention time molecular weight, and molecular formula. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of Nigella sativa revealed the existence of the ß-Pinene, D-Glucose, 6-O-α-Dgalactopyranosyl, O-Cymene, DL-Arabinose, Trans-4-methoxy thujane, 2-Propyl-tetrahydropyran-3-ol, Terpinen-4-ol, α- D-Glucopyranoside, O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1.fwdarw.3)-ß-D-fruc, Thymoquinone, 2-Isopropylidene-5-methylhex-4-enal, Limonen-6-ol, pivalate, Longifolene, 2-(4-Nitrobutyryl)cyclooctanone, ß-Bisabolene, 1,1-Diphenyl-4-phenylthiobut-3-en-1-ol, Phenol, 4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethyl, Pyrrolidin-2-one-3ß-(propanoic acid, methyl ester),5-methylene-4α, Cholestan-3-ol, 2-methylene-,(3ß,5α), l-(+)-Ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, methyl ester, 1-Heptatriacotanol, 10,13-Eicosadienoic acid, methyl ester, E,E,Z-1,3,12-Nonadecatriene-5,14-diol, 9-Octadecenamide,(Z), 2H-Benzo[f]oxireno[2,3-E]benzofuran-8(9H)-one,9-[2-(dimethylar, Phthalic acid, decyl oct-3-yl ester, 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(8-methylnonyl) ester and Stiqmasterol.

Key words: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Nigella sativa, phytochemicals.