Qualitative Phytochemical Screening, Lipoidal Matter and Proximate Analysis of Codiaeum variegatum cv. Gold Dust Leaves and Stems Cultivated in Egypt

Objectives: The current study aimed at the qualitative phytochemical screening, lipoidal matter investigation and proximate analysis of Codiaeum variegatum cv. Gold Dust (family Euphorbiaceae) leaves and stems for the first time.Methods:Phytochemical screening was accomplished using the standard adopted procedures as per constituent. Saponifiable and unsaponifiable components were analyzed using gas liquid chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GLC/FID). Finally, the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standard procedures were applied for the proximate analysis of crude fiber, fat, moisture and ash contents. Results: The qualitative phytochemical screeningrevealed the presence of flavonoids in all tested fractions, while anthraquinones and coumarins were completely absent. In addition, the residue was dedicated for the presence of various secondary metabolite classes as; alkaloids and/or nitrogenous bases, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, saponins, and tannins. On the other hand, dichloromethane soluble fraction demonstrated the presence of terpenes and/or sterols which were quantitively identified using gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The GLC of lipoidal matter tentatively revealed the identification of 9-octadecenoic (oleic acid) as the major unsaturated fatty acid (27.90%), while the hexadecanoic (palmitic acid, 18.68%) was pointed out as the most abundant, saturated one. Furthermore, n-hexacosane(16.45%), β-sitosterol (1.40%), and α-amyrin (1.90%) represented the most, identified saturated hydrocarbons, sterols, and triterpenes, respectively. Finally, the proximate analysis was denoted by the high crude fiber content (21.70 %), moderate ash value (14.91%) and moisture (10.77%), while the fat contents was relatively low (1.00%). Conclusion: From the eventual findings it could be concluded that Codiaeum variegatum cv. Gold Dust leaves and stems are valuable source of a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites, crude fibers, unsaturated fatty acids and sterols that may serve as bioactive dietary supplement, but it still needs further safety studies.