ABSTRACT

Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them thrive or thwart competitors, predators, or pathogens. These chemicals are produced by plants through primary or secondary metabolism (Breslin A,2017) . 

These work was done to determining the presence of phytochemicals such as Tannins, Saponin, Alkaloids, Anthraquinone, Phlobatannins, Flavonoids and  Cardiac Glycosides (e.g Steroidal Ring or Terpenoids and cardenolide) from oil extracted from moringa oleifera and neem seeds and leaves. The extraction was done at varying temperature of 70 oC,60 oC,50 oC,40 oC and 30oC respectively , agitation speed of 30 rpm,60 rpm,90 rpm,120 rpm and 150rpm, concentration of 1.0, 1.25, 1.67, 2.50 and 5.00 ml of nhexane/ml of water respectively and contact time of 24hrs, 48 hrs, 72 hrs, 96 hrs and 120 hrs. Each parameters showed  direct variation effect on the yield of oil for each seed samples where an increase in each parameters caused a direct increase in the yield. The phytochemicals present in each oil sample were obtained qualitatively and as such saponin, steroid and flavonoid were found to be present in all then samples whereas tannin was found present in only the leaf of moringa and seed of neem, Alkaloid was found in neem seeds alone and Phlobatannins was absent in all the samples. 

It was concluded from results obtained that moringa seed has a higher oil yield compared to neem seed and the leaves of each sample produced no oil.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page i

Letter of transmittal ii

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgment v

Abstract vi

Table of content vii

List of Tables x

List of Figures xi  

CHAPTER ONE1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY1

1.2 PHYTOCHEMICALS2

1.2.1 ACTIVITY OF PHYTOCHEMICALS2

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM3

1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES3

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY4

1.6  SCOPE OF STUDY4

1.7  ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF MORINGA OLEIFERA AND NEEM4

1.8 LIMITATIONS5

CHAPTER TWO6

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW6

2.2 PHYTOCHEMICALS7

2.2.1 Definition8

2.2.2  History of uses8

2.2.3 Functions9

2.2.4 Consumer and industry guidance9

2.2.5 Effects of food processing10

2.2.6 Types of Phytochemicals11

2.3 MORINGA OLEIFERA13

2.3.1 Botanical description, distribution, and production14

2.3.2 Phytochemical composition15

2.3.3  Cultivation17

2.3.4 Production area18

2.3.5 Soil preparations19

2.3.6  Oil19

2.3.7  USES OF MORINGA19

2.4  NEEM19

2.4.1 DESCRIPTION20

2.4.2 Ecology20

2.4.3 Weed status20

2.4.4 USES21

CHAPTER THREE24

3.0 EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT24

3.1 MATERIALS24

3.1.1  APPARATUS24

3.2METHODS25

3.2.1 Sample collection and preparation25

3.2.2 Seed Preparation25

3.2.3 Extraction of oil25

3.3 PHYTOCHEMICAL TESTS26

3.3.1 Test for Tannins26

3.3.2 Test for Saponin27

3.3.3 Test for Alkaloids27

3.3.4 Anthraquinone Determination27

3.3.5 Test for Phlobatannins27

3.3.6 Test for Flavonoids28

3.3.7 Salkowski Test for Cardiac Glycosides (Steroidal Ring or Terpenoids)28

3.1 FOURIERS TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY ANALYSIS28

CHAPTER FOUR29

4.0RESULTS AND DISCUSSION29

4.1RESULTS29

4.1.1 Determination of moisture content of seeds29

4.2 YIELD OF OIL FROM SAMPLE OF SEED AND LEAF FOR BOTH MORINGA AND NEEM30

4.3 PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS (QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE)31

4.4  Fouriers Transform Infrared Spectroscopy32

4.5 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF YIELD OF OIL FROM SAMPLE OF SEED AND LEAF FOR BOTH MORINGA AND NEEM36

4.6 Functional group analysis of Moringa Oleifera (Moringaceae) by FTIR spectrum38

4.7 DISCUSSION40

CHAPTER FIVE42

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION42

5.1 CONCLUSION42

5.1 RECOMMENDATION43

References44