Datura stramonium L. is a widely distributed medicinal plant traditionally recognised for its therapeutic properties, largely attributed to its rich content of secondary metabolites. It is commonly known as Jimson weed or thorn apple, and is a fast-growing annual herb belonging to the Solanaceae family. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions and holds deep ethnobotanical significance. This study provides a comparative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling of essential oils extracted from the leaves, flowers, and fruits of D. stramonium. Plant materials were subjected to hydro-distillation using a Clevenger apparatus, and the resulting oils were analysed by GC-MS. The essential oil from the flowers revealed 51 compounds, with azulene (15.82%) and phytol (7.74%) as prominent constituents. The leaf oil, comparatively less complex, contained 9 compounds, predominantly phytol (67.23%) and boranamine derivatives (6.86%). The fruit oil revealed 12 compounds that are rich in long-chain saturated hydrocarbons, particularly tricosane (40.10%), heneicosane (30.55%), and docosane (11.55%). These results demonstrate considerable variation in essential oil composition among the different plant parts, suggesting that each organ harbours a unique set of biosynthetic processes contributing to specialised functions. This comparative chemical profiling enhances the understanding of D. stramonium’s volatile constituents and supports the rationale for targeted utilisation of specific plant parts in phytochemical, industrial, and pharmacognostic applications. These results highlight the pharmacological relevance of the identified compounds and support the notion that different organs of Datura stramonium produce distinct essential oil profiles, each with unique therapeutic potential. Future work should explore the biological activities of these individual oils and their major constituents in vitro and in vivo to validate and expand their potential applications in medicine, cosmeceuticals, and natural product industries.
Adaekwu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.