Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) Analysis of Phthalate Isolates in n-Hexane Extract of Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Neem) Leaves.

In this study, the bioactive components of the Azadirachta indica leaves have been evaluated using GC/MS. The data revealed presence of phthalates, which were resolved by the use of two complementary separation techniques namely: Thin Layer Chromatography and Urea and Thiourea Adduction respectively. The phthalates identified were 1. Diisobutyl phthalate 2. Dibutyl phthalate 3. Ethylhexyl phthalate 4. Heptylmethyl phthalate 5. Mono(n-octyl) phthalate 6. Mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Out of the 6 phthalates, 3 appear to be new compounds - namely, 1. Ethylhexyl phthalate 2. Heptylmethyl phthalate and 3. Mono(n-octyl) phthalate. The bioassay of these phthalates show that 4 of them have antifungal activity: 1. Diisobutyl phthalate 2. Dibutyl phthalate 3. Heptylmethyl phthalate 4. Mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. Mono(n-octyl) phthalate had no antifungal activity. Fungal activity of Ethylhexyl phthalate one was not tested. This study really gives a novel method of separating phthalates co-eluting at the same Retention time. Detail discussion on the separation and identification of these phthalates is presented in this study. (Akpuaka A., Ekwenchi MM, Dashak DA., Dildar A. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) Analysis of Phthalate Isolates in n-Hexane Extract of Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Neem) Leaves. J Am Sci 2012;8(12):146-155). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 22