GC–MS BASED PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF CHROMOLAENA ODORATA (L.) R.M. KING & H. ROB. ROOT POWDER AND ITS PHARMACOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Medicinal plants remain a cornerstone of traditional healthcare systems and a promising source of novel bioactive compounds. Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob. (Asteraceae) is widely employed in ethnomedicine for wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and hemostatic applications. Although phytochemical investigations of its leaves are well documented, comprehensive chemical profiling of the roots remains limited. The present study aims to characterize the phytochemical constituents of C. odorata root powder using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS). GC–MS analysis revealed twenty-five phytochemical constituents belonging to diverse chemical classes, including sulfoxides, esters, phenolic derivatives, coumarins, nitrogen-containing heterocycles, and siloxanes. The major compound identified was 2-chloroethyl methyl sulfoxide (37.80%), followed by carbonochloridic acid ethyl ester (12.64%) and several biologically relevant trimethylsilyl-derivatized phenolics. The presence of these compounds substantiates the therapeutic relevance of C. odorata roots and provides a strong scientific foundation for further pharmacological and bioactivity-guided investigations.