Preliminary Phytochemical Screening and GC MS Profiling of Ethanolic Extracts of Selected Asteraceae Plants

The present study investigated the phytochemical composition of ethanolic leaf extracts of five plants of Asteraceae family i.e Bidens pilosa, Spilanthes acmella, Tagetes erecta, Eclipta alba, and Tridax procumbens using preliminary phytochemical screening and GC MS analysis. Qualitative screening revealed diverse secondary metabolites, with terpenoids, phlobatannins, tannins, and saponins detected in all extracts. E. alba and T. procumbens showed the most comprehensive phytochemical profiles. GC MS analysis demonstrated considerable variation in chemical composition among the extracts. B. pilosa (EEA) was characterized mainly by thymol (25.47%), while E. alba (EED) showed a high abundance of carvacrol (54.90%), followed by γ-terpinene and 3-carene (14.26% each). S. acmella and T. erecta contained diverse aldehyde, fatty acid, sulfur, amide, and other metabolites, whereas T. procumbens showed fewer detectable constituents under the analytical conditions used. Several identified compounds, including thymol, carvacrol, γ-terpinene, 3-carene, terpinen-4-ol, and erucamide, have previously been associated with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Overall, the findings demonstrate substantial chemical diversity among the selected Asteraceae plants and identify E. alba and B. pilosa as particularly promising sources of bioactive phytoconstituents. Further quantitative and bioactivity guided studies are required to confirm compound identities and determine their individual and synergistic biological effects.