Muritala A. Adebayo, Anastasia Karioti, Helen Skaltsa,* and Isiaka A. Ogunwande

Abstract: Securidaca longepedunculata, Polygalaceae, essential oil composition, methyl salicylate.

Nigeria is blessed with a diversity of flora, most of which has remained unexploited for their chemical constituents and biological potentials. Securidaca longepedunculata Fers. (Polygalaceae) is commonly used as a medicine in many parts of Africa. In Nigeria, the plant is commonly employed for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and as purgative. An oral administration of a decoction of the root has been shown to produce a sedative effect, mainly attributed to its content of oleanolic acid glycoside (1). Extracts of the plants from Nigeria has been reported to possess both gastrointestinal and trypanocidal effects (2,3). Elsewhere considerable antimalarial (4), insecticidal (5) and insect repellent activities (6) have been confirmed for extracts from various parts of the plant. On the chemical point of view, ergonine alkaloids (7) and tannins of the presenegamine skeleton (8) have been characterized from the plant. Two minor bitter principles: β-D-(3, 4-disinapoyl)-fructofuranosyl-α-D-(6-sinapoyl)-glucopyranoside and β-D-(3-disinapoyl)-fructofuranosyl-α-D-(6-sinapoyl)- glucopyranoside have been described from the bark extracts (9). The seed oils have an abundant of hydroxydienoic fatty acids and acetotriacylglycerols (10). Previous research works on the volatile oils have been focused on the root. Costa et al. (11) identified methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (methyl paraben) as the dominant volatile compound of the ether extract of the root oil of the plant. In addition, nine others compounds of the benzoic acid derivatives were also characterized. Lognay et al. (12) reported the occurrence of methyl salicylate and 2-hydroxy- 6-methoxybenzoic acid methyl ester in S. longepedunculata root bark from Senegal. Later Jayasekara et al. also identified methyl salicylate (2-hydroxy benzoic acid methyl ester) as the principal volatile component in the methanol extract of the root bark of the plant from Ghana (13). Methyl salicylate was also reported by Nebe and co- workers (14), as the dominant compound in the root bark oil of the plant from Burkina Faso. Methyl salicylate was identified as the compound responsible for the fumigant property of the root of the plant (12).