~ 2743 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2018; 7(3): 2743-2751 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 JPP 2018; 7(3): 2743-2751 Received: 11-03-2018 Accepted: 15-04-2018 Divya S Department of Zoology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Arivoli S Department of Zoology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Samuel T Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Raveen R Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Jayakumar M Department of Zoology, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Correspondence Dr. Arivoli S Department of Zoology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linnaeus (Sapindaceae) and Chenopodium album Linnaeus (Chenopodiaceae) leaves Divya S, Arivoli S, Samuel T, Raveen R and Jayakumar M Abstract Plants produce enormous varieties of chemicals which are believed to be important in mediating the interaction between them and their environment. Modern chemistry has discovered the structures of many of these biologically active compounds and systematic studies of natural products for plant protection which became recognized within the field of chemistry. Secondary metabolites have been studied using the approach of classical phytochemistry, focused on knowledge of the chemical components of a plant. In the present study the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of Cardiospermum halicacabum and Chenopodium album leaf extracts were analyzed. Keywords: Cardiospermum halicacabum, Chenopodium album, leaf extracts, GC-MS analysis, phytochemical compounds 1. Introduction Secondary metabolites have been studied using the approach of classical phytochemistry, focused on knowledge of the chemical components of a plant. Often, plant secondary metabolites may be referred to as plant natural products, in which case they elicit effects on other organisms [1] . Plant families generally make use of chemical structures for defensive functions [2] . Secondary metabolites can be classified according to their chemical structure, composition, solubility in different solvents, or on the basis of their synthesis pathway. A simple classification, based on chemical structure, includes three main groups: terpenes - composed almost entirely of carbon and hydrogen and including plant volatiles, cardiac glycosides, carotenoids and sterols, phenolics-with the common feature of having one or more phenol rings and including phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, tannins and lignins, and nitrogen-containing compounds which are extremely diverse, including alkaloids and glucosinolates [3] . In the present study, Cardiospermum halicacabum and Chenopodium album leaf extracts were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for their phytocompounds. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Preparation and screening of phytoextracts Fresh healthy leaves of Cardiospermum halicacabum and Chenopodium album were collected in and around Walajahpet (12.9250ºN, 79.3669ºE) and Ponnai (13.1241ºN, 79.2536ºE), Ranipet, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Cardiospermum halicacabum leaves were washed under running tap water to remove all traces of soil particles and other dirt and shade dried for 10-15 days. The leaves were then powdered using an electric blender and sieved to obtain a fine powder. The powdered leaves were used for the extraction process. The plant material (1Kg) was soxhleted subsequently with 3L of solvents viz., chloroform and methanol each [4] . The leaf extract was concentrated by evaporation. Likewise, the same methodology was adopted to obtain the chloroform and methanolic extract of Chenopodium album leaves. 2.2 Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) GC-MS is a technique; consisting of two analytical procedures in sequence, namely a Gas Chromatography (GC) separation followed by Mass Spectroscopy (MS) detection. The purpose of the GC step is to separate multiple compounds in a sample so that they reach the MS detector one at a time. GC uses a high-resolution fused silica capillary column housed in a temperature-controlled oven.