Phytochemical Profiling of Cymbopogon flexuosus Plant Leaves

The qualitative and quantitative phytochemical composition of Cymbopogon flexuosus plant leaves were investigated using standard methods. Eight Phytochemical families were detected. Amongst those detected are phenolic acid, saponins, glycosides, cyanogenic glycosides, alkaloids, anthocyanins, flavonoids and sterols. Seven phenolic acids were quantitatively detected with ferulic acid (10.28±0.55 mg/100 g), chlorogenic acid (8.37±0.01 mg/100 g) and caffeic acid (2.93±0.04 mg/100 g) being the highest. Among the nine saponins detected sarsasapogenin (7.12±0.10 mg/100 g) and tigogenin (5.34±0.02 mg/100 g) were observed to be high. Nine glycosides and six cyanogenic glycosides were found in the plant leave and salicin (1.36±0.01 mg/100 g) and galliridoside (7.12±0.10 mg/100 g) were detected to be the highest respectively. Seventeen alkaloids and five anthocyanins were found in the plant leaf. For the alkaloids, akuammidine (4.21±0.01 mg/100 g) was seen to be the highest while cyaniding-3-sophoroside-5- glucoside (32.96±55.46 mg/100 g) was observed to be the highest for anthocyanins. Six and seven flavonoids and sterols were detected in the plant leaf respectively. Among them, glycitein with value of 19.01±0.06 mg/100 g and sitosterol at 16.25±0.01 mg/100 g were found to also be the highest respectively. The rich contents of many bioactive molecules detected in Cymbopogon flexuosus leaf suggest the strong nutraceutical potential of this plant leaves, further suggesting their likely use as functional food and as therapeutics in the management and prevention of diseases.