Analysis of bioactive compounds present in Boerhavia elegans seeds by GC-MS

Boerhavia elegans L. (Nyctaginaceae) is a tropical plant widely distributed in the eastern part of Yemen, Oman, and many other countries. B. elegans is used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, anemia, and urinary tract disorders. The seeds, called Alhydawan, are used as food additives to prepare porridge, one of the most popular foods in Yemen. The present study aims to analyze the bioactive constituents of the methanolic extract of B. elegans seeds after fractionation on silica gel column chromatography. The methanolic extract was subjected to column chromatography and eluted with a hexane and hexane diethyl ether mixture of different compositions. The eluted fractions were tested with thin-layer chromatography. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of fractions indicated some compounds such as dodecane, 2,6,11-trimethyl, butylated hydroxytoluene, 2,6,10-trimethyltridecane, hexadecane,2,6,11,15-tetramethyl, nonadecane, 2-methyl, 7,9-di-tert-butyl-1-oxaspiro(4,5) deca-6,9-diene-2,8-dione, n-hexadecenoic acid, octadecanoic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, 13-docosenamide, (Z)-, and phenol,2,4-bis(1,1-dimethyl ethyl) phosphite (3:1). Hence, B. elegans may have antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities due to the presence of secondary metabolites in the extract.