Abstract:

Annona muricata and Psidium guajava areediblefruitscommonly cultivated in Nigeria and arerecognized for their promising applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceuticals and cosmetic industries. This present study investigated the bioactive constituents present in theethanolic extract of A. muricata and P. guajavain order to assess their pharmacological significanceusing Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Fresh leaves of A. muricata and P. guajava were collected, authenticated, extracted with 99% ethanol, and subjected to GC–MS analysis. Compounds were identified using the NIST library and grouped by pharmacological class.Sixteen compounds were identified to be present in the ethanolic extractof P. guajavawhile 10 compounds were detected in A. muricata. In P. guajava leaves extaract, the dominant constituents were benzenemethanamine (21.94%), benzenamine (16.60%), and benzamide (8.44%), while A. muricata leaves extract were rich in benzenemethanamine (33.51%), benzenamine (24.55%) and Benzyl alcohol (11.38). The identified compounds belong to classes associated with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antidepressants, analgesic, antidiabetic, antipruritic, flavouring agents, preservatives, organic solvent, repellents, fumigants, plant metabolites, insecticides and anticancer properties. The presence of pharmacologically active compounds in A. muricata and P. guajavaethanolicleaves extract highlights their potential as sources of natural therapeutic agents. These findings provide scientific validation for the traditional medicinal uses of these plant leaves and underscore their potential for pharmaceutical applications