Phytochemical Screening and Chemical Investigation of Lipoidal Matter of Arenga engleri Leaves

Objectives: In this study, a preliminary phytochemical screening and lipoidal matter of Arenga engleri Becc. leaves (family Arecaceae) were studied for the first time. Methods: Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) was used for the identification of compounds of saponifiable and unsaponifiable content. Results: The preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, carbohydrate and/or glycosides, unsaturated sterols and/or triterpenes and absence of anthraquinones, coumarins, volatiles and alkaloids or compound containing nitrogenous bases. GC/MS analysis revealed the higher percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (51.39 %) than that of saturated ones (31.47 %). The major unsaturated fatty acids present were linoleic acid (31.55 %) and 7,10-hexadecadienoic acid (11.42%) while the major saturated one was palmitic acid (17.27 %). The unsaponifiable matter was represented as hydrocarbons (41.19 %), fatty alcohols (28.31 %), terpenes (9.68 %) and sterol (0.14 %). 1-Octadecene (17.65 %) and 1-hexadecene (12.41 %) represented the major hydrocarbons while behenic alcohol (14.71 %) was the major fatty alcohol, phytol (4.89 %) was the major terpene and ethylisoallocholate (0.14 %) was the only sterol identified.