Savanna Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 7(1):136-145
Exploring Secondary Metabolites of Hyptis spicigera Using Integrated Chromatography and Spectroscopy
Abdulmumin, U., Gayari, M.S. Hassan, S., Boyi, Y. M., Mustapha Salihu and Muhammad, M.U.*
ABSTRACT
It is fashionable to produce insect-resistant plants and use environmentally friendly gardening practices to
invite nature into our yards. Hyptis spicigera is a Nigerian medicinal plant (NMP) employed to treat
headaches and colds, as well as to repel insects. The current study aims to profile bioactive chemicals
present in crude extract and fractions using thin layer chromatography (TLC), UV-Vis, FTIR, and GC-MS
spectroscopic methods for analysis. The TLC results indicate that the extract and its fractions contain a
mixture of phytochemicals with varying Rf values (0.35, 0.4, 0.43, 0.61, and 0.70). The spectroscopic
analysis supports the TLC findings by showing that the composition of the plant's aerial parts includes
hydrocarbons (alkanes and alkenes), phenols, steroids, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, and fatty
acids. The plants previously reported to have repellent properties may be attributed to the secondary
metabolites; therefore, further research on the isolation of pure compounds and toxicological studies could
be beneficial in determining the medicinal properties of the plant.
