Isolation, Purification and Characterization of Herbal-Based Ligands Extracted from Avocado (Persea americana) Leaves in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

This research evaluates the bioactive compounds in Avocado, aiming to utilize them as a potential herbal source for
developing metal complexes. Persea americana is a tropical plant commonly found in the southeastern part of Nigeria. The bulk
of the fruit is utilized as a food product. The fruits, leaves, and seeds are utilized in traditional herbal medicine for treating
diverse health issues. The plant material was obtained through solvent extraction with water. Phytochemicals were
quantitatively assessed, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy were carried out following previously defined procedures. A
phytochemical study on avocado leaf extract revealed the detection of flavonoids (2.09 ± 2.00 mg/L), saponins (8.54 ± 0.02 mg/L),
steroids (0.67 ± 0.04 mg/L), alkaloids (4. 01 ± 1.60 mg/L), Phenoids (0.99 ± 0.08 mg/L), Terpenoids (0.76 ± 0.05 mg/L),
carbohydrate (0.85 ± 0.08 mg/L) and glycosides (0.95±0.08 mg/L) while Anthraqunones were absent. The FT-IR results revealed
the presence of C-O stretching vibrations for both alcohol and ester groups in both crude and isolated samples. The study's
findings revealed that the avocado extract harbors notable bioactive compounds capable of functioning as herbal ligands in the
formation of metal complexes.