Bioactive Compound and Rubisco Analyses of Leaf and Seed Extracts of Sesamum indicum

Sesamum indicum is an oil-rich plant that is moderately drought tolerant. The leaves and seeds are used for the preparation of local soups in Nigeria. There is a need to understand the traits possessed by this plant in order to improve its production in a developing country like Nigeria. In this study, the bioactive compounds and Rubisco content of the leaf and seed were investigated using standard techniques of aqueous, ethanol and DNA extractions. The leaf and seed differed in the bioactive compounds with saponins, glycosides, alkaloids, and tannins present in both samples. However, steroids and quinones were absent in both samples. The study also revealed a great variation in the Rubisco and DNA contents of the leaf and seed. Rubisco content was higher in the leaf relative to the seeds whilst DNA was lower in the leaf relative to the seeds. Overall, the study provided new insights into the bioactive compounds present in the leaf and seeds. It also showed that under normal growth conditions, there is a higher Rubisco gene in the leaf of this moderate drought tolerant plant relative to the seeds. The implications of these variations are discussed in relation to nutrition and carbon storage.