PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND GC-MS ANALYSIS OF BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS IN THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF EMPTY FRUIT BUNCHES

Abstract
For thousands of years plants have been an essential medicinal source with qualities. Empty fruit bunches (EFB) have medicinal values. Ten grams of powdered sample was extracted with 50 mL ethanol overnight and filtered through ash less filter paper, this plant’s ethanol extract has been analyzed using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), while the compound mass spectra contained in the extract has been matched with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) library. The GC-MS analysis provided different peaks determining the presence of eight different phytochemical compounds namely10-Undecenoic acid, Propanoic acid, Cyclopentane acetic acid hydrazide,1,4-Cyclohexanedicarbonitrile.The compounds were identified by comparing their retention time and peak area with literature and by interpreting the mass spectra. Many of them have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antitumor, antiviral, anticonvulsant, analgesic and antidiabetic properties.