COMPARATIVE GC-MS AND FTIR PROFILING RESEARCH OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM Ocimum gratissimum HARVESTED FROM DUMPSITES IN THREE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN EDO STATE

Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) is a medicinal herb renowned for its essential oils rich in antimicrobial and antioxidant constituents. This study evaluated the influence of dumpsite pollution on the phytochemical and functional composition of O. gratissimum essential oil obtained from Egor, Ovia North-East, and Oredo Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria. Essential oils extracted using a Soxhlet apparatus were characterized by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The GC–MS analysis revealed a predominance of hydrocarbons particularly decane and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate suggesting petroleum- and plastic-derived contamination, while FTIR spectra identified nitrogenous, carbonyl, and halogenated functional groups absent in uncontaminated reference samples. These alterations indicate that dumpsite exposure disrupts the biosynthesis of natural oxygenated terpenes, thereby diminishing the therapeutic quality of the oil and introducing potential toxicants. The findings demonstrate that environmental pollution significantly affects the chemical integrity of O. gratissimum and hence, the need to restrict its cultivation near polluted environments