International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research
Abstract
One of the Croton species that is known for its medicinal use is Croton macrostachyus (Euphorbiaceae). It is one of the eight Croton species found in Ethiopia. The wide range medicinal uses of Croton macrostachyus led scientists to isolate compounds from its different parts. The primary objective of this research study was therefore to characterize the constituents of seeds of Croton macrostachyus (Euphorbiaceae) plant using GC-MS and to analyse the antimicrobial (medicinal) activity of the seed oil. 75 g of the powdered seeds of Croton macrostachyus was used for the extraction of the essential oil using hydrodistilation method. The oil was characterized using GC-MS and its biological activity was tested against some bacteria by Disk-diffusion method. GC-MS analysis of essential oils of Croton macrostachyus has shown over 40 components. From these, 19 compounds for each origin representing 82.86 % of Croton macrostachyus oil were identified as major components of the essential oil. 4-Hexen-1-ol, (E), Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, [1,1'-Biphenyl]-2-acetic acid, Epizonarene, Cyclopentene, 3-isopropenyl-5,5-dimethyl and 3-Carene were some of the major compounds identified from the oil. Antimicrobial results also showed that the essential oil was effective to control the growth of bacteria. So, collaborative works should be done between chemists, microbiologists and medical professionals to develop better medicinal drugs for the treatment of bacterial, fungal and viral infections
