Emulsification Potential and Phytochemical Profile of Jatropha tanjorensis

Background and Objective: The use of plants has been validated for its numerous benefits in medicine, industries, nutrition, etc. The emulsifying and demulsifying ability of Jatropha tanjorensisleaves extracts in oil-in-water was investigated. Materials and Methods: The N-hexane, ethanol, and distilled water extracts were prepared using the bulk maceration method and Soxhlet apparatus. Phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts was done by the GC-MS method. Results: The results obtained revealed the presence of bioactive compounds, including tannins and terpenoids in the hexane extract, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones in the ethanol extract, saponins and alkaloids in the distilled water extract. Emulsification tests with the different extracts were done, using the volume of water separated as the yardstick. The resmixture, though the ethanol extract gave a better result. The n-hexane extract, on the other hand, demulsified the mixture. Conclusion: The emulsification and demulsification results were better at higher concentrations of the extract, and were attributed to the surfactant phytochemical compounds present in the extracts.