Phyto-Constituents, GC-MS Analysis and Antifungal Activity of Methanol Extract of Sweet Orange Peels

Abstract

Sweet orange peels have been considered waste materials by most people, however recent scientific studies have revealed adequate potentials to include textile manufacturing, mosquitoes-repellant finish, print transfer medium, antimicrobial agents, water purification, bio adsorbent, bio char and biogas among others. This research is aimed at isolating the oil fraction, screening the phyto constituens and determining the antifungal activity of methanol extract of sweet orange peel. The orange peels were isolated from the orange, grated into pieces and extracted using methanol solvent by soxhlet extractor. The crude extract was subjected to phytochemical screening and antifungal activity while vacuum liquid chromatography was used to isolate the oil from the peel extract and characterized by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) Saponins, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics and flavonoids were present while zone of inhibition of the methanol extract against Candida albican Penicillium notatum and Epidermophyton floccosum gave 15 mm, 10 mm and 17 mm at 100 mg/mL dose respectively. The major component of the oil were 17-octadecynoic acid (Retention time (Rt):15.469, 36.04%) a saturated fatty acid, 8 methyl-6-nonenoic acid (Rt: 10.84, 10.4%) an unsaturated fatty acid and pentadecanoic acid (Rt: 14.286, 9.34%) a saturated fatty acid. This research thus confirmed the presence of bio active chemical constituents with potentials for inhibiting the growth of some fungi infections