Determination of bioactive constituents of Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel (Asofeyeje) roots using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR)

Rauwolfia vomitoria Aftzel belong to the family of Apocynacea with a common name serpent wood and Igbo name as akanta. It is used traditionally to treat hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis. The present study deals with GC-MS determination and FT-IR analysis of methanolic root extract of the named plant. Exactly thirty phytochemical constituents have been identified by comparing the chromatogram peek values of unknown compounds with entries in NIST database. The major bioactive compounds were 2Formyl-9-[-d-ribofuranosyl]hypoxanthine (8.63%), 5-Cyclopropylcarbonyloxypenta-decane (5.58%), 1,2,5-Oxadiazol-3-carboxamide-4,4’-azobis-2,2’-dioxide (4.47%), 1-(5-Bicylco[2.2.1]heptyl)ethylamine (3.66%), 1-Adamantanemethylamine,-methyl(2.22%), Diphenylephrine (1.26%), Imidazole,2-amino-5[(2-carboxy)vinyl](0.85%), Spiro[androst-5-ene-17,1’-Cyclobutan]-2’-one,3-hydroxy-,(3,17)(0.82, and Cyclohexan-1,4,55-triol-3-one-1-carboxylic acid (0.65%). The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of alkyl halides, alcohols, phenols, secondary alcohols, tertiary alcohols, aromatic ethers, aldehydes, ketones, aliphatic nitro compound, aromatic organophosphorus compounds, aromatic compounds, carboxylic acid derivatives, alkenes, saturated ketones, and alkanes. Hence, this study offers bases of employing R. vomitoria as herbal alternative for the treatment of various diseases.