Phytochemical Analysis of Neem Leaves and Bark and their Potentials in the Formulation of Organic Insecticide
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/ijrti.vol3no1.83Keywords:
Phytochemical, Neem Leaves, Organic Insecticide, Alkaloids, FlavonoidsAbstract
The use of chemical synthetic pesticides in agriculture has contributed greatly to food production; however, their continuous application poses significant risks to human health, beneficial organisms, and the environment. This research work analyzed the phytochemical composition of neem leaves and bark and assessed their use in producing an organic insecticide. Phytochemical screening confirmed alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, saponins are present in leaves and bark of Neem plant while phenols, and steroids are present in bark. Proximate analysis revealed clear variations between plant parts: carbohydrate was higher in leaves (46.1%) than bark (1.6%), crude fibre was greater in bark (34.50%) than leaves (16.16%), and crude protein was slightly higher in bark (16.50%) than leaves (13.42%). Similarly, crude fat was higher in leaves (6.07%) than bark (3.18%), ash content was much higher in bark (109.6%) than leaves (4.03%), while moisture was higher in leaves (11.20%) than bark (6.12%). Gas chromatography-Mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analysis showed that the leaf extract contained major bioactive compounds such as trans-cinnamaldehyde (14.24%), betulin (12.52%), phytol (14.48%), lupeol (8.06%), syringaldehyde (7.16%), coniferyl alcohol (8.34%), phenylpropanoids (8.69%), and stigmasterol (4.56%). Bark extract also contained key constituents including phytol (14.48%), hexadecanoic acid (11.66%), and octadecanoic acid (8.78%). Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed functional groups such as O–H, C=O, and aromatic rings linked to pesticidal activity, while X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) detected essential oxides including phosphorus pentoxide (14.62%), calcium oxide (5.75%), and potassium oxide (2.85%), while loss on ignition (64.51%) reflected the high organic content. The results show that neem leaves and bark retain high concentrations of bioactive compounds, making them effective, low-cost, and environmentally safe materials for organic insecticide production.Downloads
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