Leucaena leucocephala: Novel Mutants with New Chemical Compositions through MMS-Induced Mutagenesis.

Abstract

This work presents the first detailed characterization of the phytochemicals in leaf extracts of Leucaena leucocephala seedlings subjected to MMS mutagenesis using GC–MS. The analysis revealed 45, 70, 72, 65, and 65 phytochemical compounds in the control (0% MMS), mutant 1 (0.6% MMS), mutant 2 (0.9% MMS), mutant 3 (1.2% MMS), and mutant 4 (1.5% MMS), respectively. The major components identified were oleic acid (48.00%) in the control, and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose at varying concentrations in the mutants: 71.84% in mutant 1, 38.88% in mutant 2, 40.02% in mutant 3, and 60.98% in mutant 4. Notably, 27 novel phytocompounds were identified exclusively in the mutagenized seedlings, including hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester, E,E,Z-1,3,12-nonadecatriene-5,14-diol, octadecanoic acid ethyl ester, 17-pentatriacontene, tetracontane-1,40-diol, 5-nonanone, 2,2,8,8-tetramethyl-, dodecanoic acid methyl ester, kolavelool, 11,14-eicosadienoic acid methyl ester, 2-methylhexacosane, pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, 1,3-dioxolane derivatives, and several other complex hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, and terpenoids. Many of these identified compounds are known to possess notable biological activities, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects. Statistical analysis confirmed that the phytochemical profiles of the control and mutant lines were significantly different. Additionally, the phytocomponents were found across five different solvents used for extraction. The results highlight substantial differences between the control and mutants, revealing novel compounds that could serve as valuable sources for pharmaceutical and therapeutic development.