PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING (QUALITATIVE) OF ESSENTIAL OILS IN HYPTIS VERTICILATA LEAF

Hyptis verticillata is a medicinal plant reported to possess strong antioxidant activity growing in the American continent with no evidence of its cultivation in Nigeria. The present study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical composition of essential oils in Hyptis verticilata cultivated in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis of was sued to assay for the presence of the phytochemical compounds. The chromatographic analysis provided a profile of five bioactive compounds—Kaempferol, Catechin, Quercetin, Luteolin, and Artemetin—based on their retention times and relative abundances (area percentages). Kaempferol, is present in a small amount (2.05%), with a retention time of (2.238), catechin is moderately presence (4.09%) with a retention time of (4.08), Quercetin, slightly more abundant than catechin (4.87%), Luteolin stands out as one of the two dominant compounds in the sample, accounting for 23.27% of the total content while Artemetin is the most abundant compound in the sample, comprising of 26.47% of the total composition. The chromatographic analysis reveals that artemetin and luteolin are the major components of the sample, with significant contributions from quercetin, catechin, and kaempferol. This composition suggests that the extract has strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and neuroprotective properties. The dominance of artemetin and luteolin indicates a potential application in managing chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and possibly cancer prevention or treatment. Meanwhile, quercetin, catechin, and kaempferol provide supportive antioxidant and health-promoting effects, making this extract a promising candidate for therapeutic use in treating inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disorders.