Abstract

The volatile constituents of air-dried leaves (200 g) of Terminalia catappa growing in Nigeria was obtained by hydrodistillation using an all glass Clevenger-type glass apparatus. The extracted oil was analyzed using a gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of fourteen constituents’ representing 74.32% of T. catappa oil with a yield of 0.25% (v/w) was obtained. Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (12.34%) was the main constituent of the oil followed by 1,3,8-p-Menthatriene (9.38%), 1,2-dimethyl-Cyclooctene (7.30%) Undecane (6.73%), Trans-geranylacetone (6.02%) and 4-ethyl-m-xylene (5.83%). The other constituents’ were; Cis-13-Octadecenal (4.83%), Trans-2-Decenol (4.28%), 3-Eicosene, (E)- (4.17%), 1,7-Hexadecadiene (3.47%), m-Propyl-toluene (3.01%), Neophytadiene (2.56%) trans-β-Ionone (2.53%) and 2-ethyl-p-xylene (1.87%). The common classes of compounds in the leave oil are; Hydrocarbons (21.67%), Oxygenated Sesquiterpenes (14.87%), Benzene derivatives (10.71%), Monoterpenes (9.38%), Oxygenated hydrocarbons (9.11%), Oxygenated monoterpene (6.02%) and Sesquiterpenes (2.56%).