Analytical Study of Some of The Active Compounds in The Clove Plant

Abstract

This study aims to extract clove oil (eugenol) from different samples obtained from the local market in the city of Misrata and to determine their phenolic and flavonoid contents, in addition to verifying the oil composition using infrared (IR) spectroscopy.

Three clove samples (dried buds, ground buds, and freshly ground buds) were collected and the oil was extracted by hydro distillation, then separated by adding sodium bromide and ethyl acetate, and drying the organic layer with sodium sulfate. Phenolic compounds were determined using the Folin reagent, while flavonoids were determined using aluminum chloride. Absorbance was measured using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer at wavelengths of 765 nm for phenolics and 433 nm for flavonoids.

The results showed that the samples contained varying levels of phenolics and flavonoids. Sample (A) recorded the highest phenolic content before extraction, whereas the highest post-extraction phenolic content (in the organic layer) was observed in sample (B). Sample (C) showed the highest flavonoid content after extraction. Infrared spectra confirmed that the composition of the isolated oil matched that of standard eugenol, indicating its purity.

The percentage of volatile oil extracted from clove ranged between 9.53% and 13.2%, which is close to reference values reported in previous studies, confirming the efficiency of the extraction method and the quality of the studied samples.