COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF CRUDE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ESENTIAL OILS OF MYRISTICAL FRAGRANS (NUTMEG) SEEDS AND ZINGIBER OFFICINATE (GINGER) ROOTS .

The ethanolic extracts and essential oils of nutmeg seeds and ginger roots were examined for their phytochemical and physicochemical properties comparatively. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extracts of both spices showed the presence of bioactive principles such as alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, saponins, steroids, flavonoids, reducing compounds and terpeniods contributing to the biological activities of the extracts. The presence of tannin, glycoside and terpeniods were more in the ethanolic extracts of gingerʹs roots while steroids and reducing compounds were absent in both spices. Physicochemically, the essential oils from the spices were both liquid at room temperature, specifics gravity of 0.868 and 0.866 for nutmeg seeds and ginger roots respectively. The peroxide value (mg02/g) was higher in the nutmeg oil (3.35) than in ginger (2.63) while the iodine value (mgKOH/g) 151.92 and saponification values (mgKOH/g) 188.13 were higher in the ginger oil than the nutmeg oil of 126.4 and 162.4 respectively. The results of this work showed that the essential oil could found usefulness in food, beverages, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.