Abstract
Purpose: Spondia mombin is a widely cultivated edible plant traditionally used in Southern Nigeria to treat and manage various health disorders. This study aimed to examine the phytochemical contents of the ethyl acetate fraction of S. mombin stem bark through chemical screening and GC-MS profiling. Method: The stem bark of Spondia mombin was collected, washed, dried, and ground into powder. The powdered material was extracted with ethyl acetate using a Soxhlet apparatus. Ethyl acetate was selected for its effectiveness in extracting medium-polar phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. The extract was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) on a Perkin Elmer Clarus 500 system equipped with an AOC-20i autosampler, interfaced with a mass spectrometer. GC-MS was employed because it enables the separation, detection, and structural elucidation of volatile and semi-volatile phytochemicals, thereby providing a comprehensive profile of the extract's constituents. Result: Qualitative phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids, while 62 peaks corresponding to 62 bioactive compounds were identified via GC-MS. These include dodecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, octadecanoic acid, vitamin E, phytol, 7-hexadecene (Z), naphthalene-1-methyl, naphthalene-2-methyl, 1,1-naphthalene, benzene-1,2,4,5-tetramethyl, benzene-1-ethyl-2,3-dimethyl, benzene-1-ethyl-2-methyl, and p-xylene. Conclusion: Qualitative phytochemical screening of the ethyl acetate fraction of the stem bark of S. mombin confirms the presence of alkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, tannins, phenols, steroids, and flavonoids, amounting to 62 bioactive compounds. These compounds are renowned for their diverse medicinal properties and may, however, explain the ethnomedicinal uses of different plant parts.