IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS) e-ISSN: 2278-3008, p-ISSN:2319-7676. Volume 9, Issue 5 Ver. II (Sep -Oct. 2014), PP 73-77 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 73 | Page Comparative Chemical Analyses of Vernonia amygdalina and Azadirachta indica Leaves C.E. Offor Department of Biochemistry, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria Abstract: The chemical and elemental constituents of Vernonia amygdalina and Azadirachta indica leaves were investigated. Phytochemical analysis was determined by the methods of Association of Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The trace elements and macronutrients concentrations of both samples were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Vernonia amygdalina leaves recorded significantly (p<0.05) higher levels of flavonoids, saponins and caroteinoids while Azadirachta indica leaves had higher levels of alkaloids, glycosides, phenols and steroids. Vernonia amygdalina also recorded higher concentrations of zinc, iron, and manganese while there were higher levels of nickel, molybdenum, cobalt, silicon and lead in the leaves of Azadirachta indica. There were higher levels (mg/100g) of potassium, sodium and phosphorus in Azadirachta indica which recorded 0.843 ± 0.019, 0.301 ± 0.047 and 0.280 ± 0.002 respectively with corresponding values in Vernonia amygdalina as 0.710 ± 0.016, 0.334 ± 0.006 and 0.382 ± 0.006. The results showed that both leaves contained varying concentrations of chemical, elemental and macronutrient components. They can serve as good sources of useful elements. The leaves of Vernonia amygdalina could have better anti-oxidant properties than Azadirachta indica leaves. Key words: Chemical analysis, Vernonia amygdalina, Azadirachta indica. I. Introduction Plants have been used both by traditional herbalists and pharmacists for synthetic preparations in the pharmaceutical industries and for management and treatment of different diseases that affect man [1]. The knowledge of medicinal plants has continued to be useful in the production of drugs, food, spice, perfume and preparation of surgical dressings [2]. The retention of medicinal practices and traditions is evident mainly in the rural communities. With modern technology, medicine has moved from a purely traditional phase to high technological production of synthetic chemicals and the extraction of chemicals from plants to produce drugs. Several of these drugs are derived from plants that form the basis of traditional medicine [3]. Therefore, medicinal plants are plants that contain medicinal products as their active ingredients. Medicinal plants are used commercially in modern medicine and pharmacology [4]. The standardization of Nigerian medicinal plants has long been on-going in Nigeria in the attempt to set appropriate pharmacopoeia standards and obtain the quality of plants in our natural environment [5]. Plants used as natural medicine are seen to be in three ways. Firstly, they may be used directly as tea or in other extracted forms for their natural chemical constituents. Secondly, they may be used as agents in the synthesis of drugs. Finally, the organic molecules found in plants may be used as models for synthetic drugs [6]. The research of plants’ bioactive substances has contributed immensely for the betterment of mankind through the provision of value added economic returns, manufacturing of natural plant production industry, provision of better health care and increase in export earning in both rural and urban areas [7]. Vegetables, especially leaves, are important sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and some essential amino acids [8]. Vegetables when eaten in sufficient amounts may be helpful in reducing the incidence of colon and stomach cancers [9]. For continued consumption of vegetable and derivation of the immense nutritional benefits they offer, especially to the low income group who cannot afford the more expensive alternative sources, ways and means have to be sought to eliminate or at least reduce significantly the potential toxicological dangers of the constituent anti-nutrients and toxic substances [10]. This could be by the manipulation of one of the following: the soil environment in which the plant is grown, time or season of planting, and/or harvesting, type of species grown, and preservation and processing methods [11]. Therefore, our current knowledge of the practical means by which the levels of these substances could be reduced to within safe limits of 0.05% is grossly inadequate. Unfortunately, these substances are inevitably present in vegetables. This limits the importance of vegetables in the nutrient, as the nutritional importance of any given food is a function of its nutrient and anti-nutrient composition [12]. Anthropologists theorized that animals evolved a tendency to seek out bitter plant in response to illness. This behaviour arose because bitterness is an indicator of secondary metabolites. Tradomedicine is, in fact, as old as creation [13]. Hence, mankind has used plant extracts for thousands of years for the prevention of diseases, treatment of disease symptoms, as insecticides to control microbial growth, for weed control and many