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GC-MS Analysis and antioxidant activity of the Ethanol fruit extract of Aiphanes horrida (Gaertn.) Burret from Trinidad Farrah Mathura * and Rohanie Maharaj Department of Chemical Engineering, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago The Arecaceae or palm family comprises about 2600 species distributed in around 200 genera 1 . Aiphanes horrida is a species of palm tree that is native to Trinidad and Tobago 2 . It is a small, slow- growing palm that typically reaches a height of 5-6 metres, with a slender, spiny trunk and a crown of feather-like leaves. The leaves are dark green and glossy. The tree produces small, yellow flowers that are followed by red or orange fruit or drupe. Aiphanes horrida, locally known as gri-gri fruits, are considered exotic and are sold in Trinidad but there is little known knowledge about their phytochemical and nutrient properties. The aims of this study were to determine the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of Aiphanes horrida fruits in Trinidad. Mature red fruits were collected and the fruit was removed from the seed and shade dried. The dried fruit powder was macerated in ethanol, and the crude extracts were analyzed by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The compounds identified from the total ion chromatograms were searched for biological activities against Dr. Duke's ethnobotanical and phytochemical database 3 and the published literature. The antioxidant activities were determined by the DPPH scavenging assay against quercetin as standard. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) per 100 mg of extract was measured using gallic acid and quercetin as standards respectively. There GC-MS analysis resulted in the identification of 39 compounds with varying relative abundances. The fruits contained the following compounds with antioxidant activity megastigmatrienone (1.03%), pentadecanoic acid 1,4- methyl, methyl ester (7.58%), 1,2-benzendicarboxylic acid ester (1.78%), 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl (0.23%). The IC50 of the extract was 22 µg/mL and the TPC and TFC were 422 µg/mL and 770 µg/mL respectively. The antioxidant activities may be due to the antioxidant compounds. The GC-MS analysis of the fruit extract of Aiphanes horrida from Trinidad confirmed the presence of various compounds, many of which were reported to have multiple biological activities. The experimental validation of the antioxidant constituents support beneficial responses in human health. It is anticipated that this study will promote the wider usage and knowledge about these fruits in Trinidad and provide preliminary scientific validation to support further studies on the fruit. Keywords: Aiphanes horrida, GC-MS, antioxidant, Trinidad References 1. de Souza, F. G.; de Araújo, F. F.; de Paulo Farias, D.; Zanotto, A. W.; Neri-Numa, I. A.; Pastore, G. M. Brazilian Fruits of Arecaceae Family: An Overview of Some Representatives with Promising Food, Therapeutic and Industrial Applications. Food Research International 2020, 138, 109690. 2. Kew Science. Aiphanes minima (Gaertn.) burret: Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/7917-2 (accessed Jan 24, 2023). 3. U.S.D.A. 2016. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. http://dx.doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/123.
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