GC-MS Analysis and Phytochemical Screening of Methanolic Fruit Extract of Citrullus Colocynthis (L.) Schrad

In 2019, Dheeraj Kumar and colleagues conducted a study on the methanolic fruit extract of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad, revealing the presence of bioactive compounds through phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis. The screening showed the extract contained phenols, flavonoids, steroids, and glycosides, but lacked alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins. The GC-MS analysis identified 14 phytoconstituents, with Methane, oxybisdichloro being the most abundant at 82.55%, followed by trans-13-Octadecenoic acid at 4.38%, and 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol at 2.63%. These findings, with the identified compounds accounting for 95.86% of the total peak area in the GC-MS chromatogram, support the plant's traditional medicinal use and highlight its potential for further pharmacological research and drug development.