Infrared Studies and Mineral Element Analysis of the leaf of Vernonia amygdalina

Used in traditional medicine, infrared characterization of column eluates and elemental analysis of V. amygdalina was carried out to establish preliminary views of the chemical and mineral element composition of the leaf of this plant. In the five pure eluates obtained, we found that they contained saturated aliphatic esters, nitro-groups conjugated with benzene ring, secondary amines/nitrogen heterocycles, 1,3-disubstituted benzene and oxazine/oxazoline fragments, respectively. Moreover, we established that potassium, magnesium and sodium were the major minerals in the leaf, while copper, zinc, iron, nickel, manganese and chromium occurred in trace amounts. Research attention should therefore be focused on this plant for the full exploration and exploitation of its obvious antibiotic and mineral values.