ANALYSIS OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDSIN METHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF FOREST TREE DIOSPYROS MELANOXYLONROXB.BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS SPECTROMETRY (LC-MS) TECHNIQUE.

Plants are rich sources of several diverse bioactive phytochemicalcompounds with a wide range of biological effects. The screening of phytochemical compounds plays a vital role in the protection of human health and benefit. Diospyros melanoxylon (Roxb.) belonging to the family Ebenaceae is an important medicinal, commercialand multi-purpose usefulplant used in several conditions. The main aim of the current investigation was to studythe phytochemical compounds in the leaves of D. melanoxylon using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The LC–MS study revealed the presence of 27 phytochemical compounds with high and low molecular weight chemical entities. The main bioactive compounds areBetulinic acid(Rt-24.44),Oleanolic acid (Rt-23.70),Ursolic acid (Rt-23.82)and Gallic acid (Rt-1.07). The compounds have been identified by interpretation of the mass spectra. The presence of various bioactive compounds with diverse chemical structures confirms the application of leaves of D. melanoxylon for several diseases. Hence, the plant is suggested as pharmaceutically important. Further, isolation of individual bioactive compounds may be necessary to find a novel drug.