Nutritional Values and Effects of Selected Solvents on the Phytochemical Properties of Moringa Oleifera Leaves Obtained from Sokoto, Nigeria

Moringa Oliefera (M. oleifera) contains high amounts of antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been explored for their therapeutic effects. Solvents used in extraction have been noted to influence the availability of specific phytochemicals. In this study, the nutritional values of M. oleifera and effects of extracting solvents namely; ethanol, n-hexane, ethyl-acetate, and aqueous solution on the phytochemical constituents of M.oleifera leaves from Sokoto were investigated. M. oleifera leaves were obtained from Sokoto, Nigeria and dried. The Proximate and trace metal analysis were carried out by use of Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). M.oleifera sample was extracted by soxhlet extractor using the different solvents, and then concentrated. Concentrated compounds were further analyzed by GC-MS. Proximate analysis of the leaves yielded crucial nutritional values which includes, crude protein (13.31%),crude lipid (14.01%), and dietary fibre (6.37%). Furthermore, sodium and magnesium concentrations were notably elevated, with magnesium reaching 15.1 mg/l. Ethanol and aqueous extracts yielded positive results for flavonoids, carbohydrates, phenols, tannins, cardiac glucosides, and alkaloids. Conversely, n-hexane exhibited negative effects on these compounds, while ethyl-acetate demonstrated mixed outcomes.. The GC-MS analysis of the extracts showed the presence of 2-Heptanol, 6-meth 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, Phthalic acid, cyclobutyl-heptyl ester, Diethyl-Phthalate, ethylisopropyl ester, Trimethyl(4-tert.-butyl-phenoxy)silane, and 2,4,6-Cycloheptatrien-1-one. The findings from this work suggested that M.oleifera leaves possess important nutritional values ,and using solvents such as ethanol and aqueous solution to extract the bioactive compounds presents a rich reservoir of such compounds (especially cardiac glycosides) which could be used as therapeutics in management of cardiovascular disorders.