Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify bioactive constituents of the ethyl acetate fraction of methanolic root extract of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) through GC-MS analysis. For this purpose, crushed roots of the plant were extracted with methanol for two weeks. The extract was concentrated by evaporating the solvent on a rotary evaporator followed by addition of distilled water and subsequent fractionation using n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to GC-MS analysis and nine compounds were identified, including undecane (1), benzene, nitro- (2), -ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate (3), octadec-9-enoic acid (4), benzene,1,1’- (oxydi-2,1-ethanediyl) bis 3-ethyl- (5), cis-9-hexadecenal (6), 1,2-benzedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester (7), 10- nonadecanone (8) and 1-triacontanol (9). Literature survey revealed that most of the identified compounds possess diverse biological activities. Compounds 1, 6 and 7 are reported to possess antimicrobial activity. Compounds 3 and 6 are antioxidants. Compounds 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 possess diverse medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory, antiinfertility, cancer and cardio protective, anti-mutagenic, and/or wound healing, antifouling. The present study concludes that ethyl acetate fraction of root extract is a good store house of bioactive constituents.
