Solvent Dependent Variations in Bioactive Metabolite Extraction from Annona Senegalensis Via Cold Maceration: Qualitative and Quantitative Insights

Abstract

This study investigated the extraction efficiency and phytochemical composition of Annona senegalensis extracts obtained using different solvents through qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses. The plant material was extracted using solvents of varying polarity, including n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol and water, and the extracts were screened for the presence and concentration of major phytochemicals. Percentage-yield analysis indicated that ethanol produced the highest extraction yield, followed by ethyl acetate and n-hexane, while methanol and water gave the lowest yields. Solvent polarity plays a crucial role in determining both extraction yield and the phytochemical composition of Annona senegalensis. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, saponins, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, anthraquinones and coumarins, although their distribution varied among the solvent extracts. Alkaloids, glycosides and cardiac glycosides were detected in most extracts, while flavonoids, phenols and tannins were absent from the n-hexane extract, indicating the influence of solvent polarity on phytochemical extraction. Phlobatannins were absent from all extracts, whereas terpenoids and anthraquinones occurred depending on the solvent used. Quantitative phytochemical analysis demonstrated significant variation in phytochemical concentrations among the extracts. The aqueous extract exhibited the highest saponin content (3.24 ± 0.13%), whereas the methanol extract contained the highest flavonoid (46.74 ± 0.04 mg QE/g) and tannin contents (35.50 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g). The ethanol extract recorded the highest alkaloid content (14.35 ± 0.20%) and total phenolic content (192.418 ± 0.51 mg GAE/g), suggesting superior extraction of these constituents by ethanol. The findings demonstrated that solvent polarity plays a crucial role in determining both extraction yield and phytochemical composition.