GC-Mass and Phytochemical Investigation of Iraqi Anethum graveolens L. Seeds

Abstract

Anethum graveolens L. is an annual aromatic plant belongs to Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)family. It has many medical uses since ancient times. Aim of this study is to analyze andstudy the chemical composition of Iraqi dill seeds hexane and ethanol crude extracts. Thenon-polar extracts were gained by using two different methods the first one was by extractingdill oil by Clevenger using distilled water as a solvent; the second method was by extractingcrude dill extract using non polar solvent (hexane) by soxhlet apparatus for about four hours,and the ethanol as polar solvent was used to get crude polar extract from the seeds usingsoxhlet too. Then phytochemical tests were performed for ethanolic extract and revealedpositive results for alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and cardio active glycosides; whileterpenoids and saponins showed negative results. The hexane extract showed positive resultfor terpenoids and flavonoids only. The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)analysis were done for the samples of hexane extract and oil extract as well and the resultsshowed that apiol was the predominant compound with percentage area of 71.27% andthymol with percentage area 11.32% in the hexane extract while oil sample revealed thepresence of D-carvone and D-limonine as main compounds with percentage area of 32.78%and 20.02%, respectively.