CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CORDIA MYXA FRUIT: PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IDENTIFICATION OF SOME BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS

Tarik Shwaish 1 and Faris JM Al-Imarah 2 . 1 The Gifted School of Basra, Basra, Iraq, 61001. 2 Dept. Chem. & Marine Environ. Poll., Marine Science Center, University of Basrah, Basra, Iraq, 61001. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History

Prior studies have confirmed the presence of the nontoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid macrophylline but no quantitative data is available. Moreover, Cordia myxa samples collected from the region have been found to contain trace amounts of 6 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a total concentration 411.6 ng/g [12,13].
Cordia myxa fruit is regarded as a good source for fibers, proteins and carbohydrates, and some studies suggest promoting the fruit as a carbohydrate and protein supplement for cereal-based diets in poor rural communities [4].
The aim of the study was to perform preliminary phytochemical screening and identify some volatile compounds found in the fruit extract via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy. Ethanol was chosen for its ability to extract the maximum plant constituents (flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, steroids, phenols, cardiac glycosides, saponins, carbohydrates, and proteins) compared with other solvents [14][15][16].

Materials and Methods:-
Fruit Sample:-Cordia myxa was cultivated during August in Basra, Iraq. The fruit was identified by morphological comparison with traits described by AP database provided by Conservatory and Botanical Garden/ Geneva and South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Extraction Method:-
The extraction method was designed to extract maximum amount of bioactive compounds without altering thermosensitive and volatile compounds. The whole fruit was shade dried and pulverized to a powder using a Philips HL7720 mechanical grinder. The powder was immersed with ethanol absolute of 99.8% concentration and the extract heated to 70 •C with, stirring for 1 hour. Vacuum-filtration was performed drying over anhydrous sodium sulfate to remove traces of water. All materials were obtained from Sigma Aldrich.

GC-MS Analysis:-
A diluted volume of 8.00 μl was injected in the system using AOC-20i/s auto-injector with split injection mode; injector temp. was 250 •C. The test was run using a Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 Ultra equipped with polar standard capillary column of 59 m length. Helium gas was used as the carrier gas with a total flow of 34.0 mL/min (column flow of 1.00 mL/min). The oven temp. was programmed from 40 •C (5 min. hold time) to 180 •C (1 min hold time) and to 300 •C (5 min. hold time). The total running time was 37.0 min. For the mass spectroscopic test, ion-source temp. was 200 •C; solvent cut time was 3.00 min.; detector gain was 0.70 kV. Compounds were identified by their mass spectra and retention indices using the NIST Mass Spectral Library and the Retention Index Database. GCMS Insight Software Package was used to process the data.

Phytochemical Qualitative Analysis:-
Phytochemical screening for the following compounds was performed using standard methods [17]

Results:-
A total of 20 volatile compounds was identified in the extract using GC-MS analysis; their identities, retention indices (compared to a series of n-alkanes), and relative concentrations (percentage of area under the chromatogram) are shown in Table 1. In addition, the chromatogram is shown in Figure 1.

Discussion:-
This study discusses the biological effects of some identified volatile compounds according to previous scientific literature, which might provide a preliminary reference for further studies regarding the importance of the fruit. The identified biologically-active ingredients of the fruit had a relative concentration falling between 3-8%, except the fat-soluble form of ascorbic acid which accounted for around 10% of the identified portion.
A summary for the bioactivity of some identified compounds and their relative concentrations is provided in Table  2. Other active and inactive compounds were present in the extract; notably, stearic acid and several types of esters. Table 2:-Bioactivity of some identified compounds and their relative concentrations The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of many phytochemicals: carbohydrates, proteins, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and tannins. These results are consistent with previous scientific literature except that saponins were not detected [4].
The chemical composition of Cordia myxa fruit is not yet fully understood. More identification techniques are necessary to confirm the chemical composition of the fruit, notably HPLC (injecting with standards) and LC-NMR.
In conclusion, Cordia myxa fruit contains many bioactive compounds and can be part of a healthy diet. We suggest carrying out more studies to assess the bioactivity of the fruit, as well as more phytochemical studies. Hypolipidemic agent (lowers the levels of certain lipids in the blood and inhibit the absorption of cholesterol from the diet) [36,37].

4.86
γ-Sitosterol Hypolipidemic agent (lowers the levels of certain lipids in the blood and inhibit the absorption of cholesterol from the diet) [38]. 3.46