Comparative Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of the Leaves of Four Cola Species

This study aimed to identify, quantify and compare the phytochemical constituents present in the ethanolic leaf extracts of four Cola species - Cola acuminata, Cola rostrata, Cola parchycarpa, and Cola nitida, using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis revealed varying numbers of distinct peaks: 77 for C. acuminata, 47 for C. rostrata, 43 for C. parchycarpa, and 45 for C. nitida, indicating diverse phytochemical profiles among the species. In C. acuminata, 14-Pentadecenoic acid (5.93%) was the dominant compound, with a retention time of 33.746 minutes. Conversely, Cyclohexane, 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl) bis- (0.11%) was the least abundant, with a retention time of 29.038 minutes. For C. rostrata, n-Hexadecanoic acid dominated the extract (26.65% at 27.600 minutes), while 3-Eicosene, (E)- was the least prevalent (0.10% at 30.310 minutes). In C. parchycarpa, Dodecane, 2,6,10-trimethyl- was most abundant (10.12% at 8.958 minutes), and Octane, 1-bromo- was least abundant (0.23% at 30.324 minutes). For C. nitida, Heptadecane, 2,6,10,14-tetramethyl was dominant (9.44% at 8.958 minutes), whereas β-Myrcene was the least compound (0.39% at 6.301 minutes). Long chain hydrocarbons such as dodecane, tridecane and hexadecane appear in multiple Cola species. These findings contribute to the phytochemical database of Cola species, established their chemotaxonomic relationship, and suggests potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications of Cola leaves.