EFFECT OF HOT AND COLD EXTRACTION PROCESSES ON PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF MOMORDICA BALSAMINA LEAVES
Abstract
Medicinal plants have long served as sources of therapeutic agents, with their bioactivity largely attributed to the presence of phytochemicals. Momordica balsamina, widely used in traditional medicine, contains numerous bioactive compounds whose extraction efficiency may vary depending on the method used. This study investigates the effect of hot and cold methanol extraction processes on the phytochemical constituents of Momordica balsamina leaves. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted to assess the presence and concentration of bioactive compounds in both extraction methods. The qualitative results revealed the presence of steroids, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, carbohydrates, phenols, and terpenoids, while saponins and anthraquinones were absent. Quantitative analysis showed that hot extraction yielded higher concentrations of alkaloids (10.787 mg/g) and tannins (11.567 mg/g), whereas cold extraction preserved higher levels of flavonoids (10.678 mg/g) and phenols (4.781 mg/g). These findings align with previous studies suggesting that hot extraction enhances the solubility of thermostable compounds, while cold extraction is more suitable for retaining thermolabile bioactives such as flavonoids and phenolics. The results underscore the importance of selecting appropriate extraction methods based on the desired phytochemical targets and therapeutic applications. This study provides a scientific basis for optimizing extraction protocols in the development of phytomedicines from M. balsamina and similar medicinal plants.
Full-Text Access Notice
In accordance with the NERD Policy on promoting peer-reviewed publication, public access to the full text of a project, thesis or dissertation is restricted for three years, allowing the author and supervisors sufficient time to pursue peer-reviewed publication.
During this period, researchers with legitimate academic or research purposes may request authorisation directly from the author to enable NERD to release the indexed full texts of the work using the form below.