Antioxidant activity and phytochemical constituents of Philippine Clitoria ternatea flowers as a potential therapeutic agent against infectious diseases

Abstract

Infectious diseases have always been present throughout human history, in which numerous emerging and re-emerging pathogens have been documented. Various strategies have been established to combat these pathogens: from vaccinations, to optimized drug delivery routes, to natural products such as antioxidants and flavonoids. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of the anthocyanin-rich Clitoria ternatea flowers, from the Philippines, by analyzing its total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The raw materials used in this study were collected from Victoria, Tarlac, Philippines, which are then macerated and soaked in 95% ethanol for 24 hours before extraction. The extract was then filtered using coarse filter paper and concentrated using a rotary evaporator. The samples were subjected to heavy metals analysis, Total phenolic content and IC50 from DPPH radical scavenging activity of the C. ternatea extract were found to be 3.9519 ± 0.1 mg GAE / 100 g and 53.6913 mg/kg, respectively. Phytochemical screening of the ethanolic extract of C. ternatea revealed the presence of triterpenes, saponins, reducing sugars, tannins, sterols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Results show the potent antioxidant properties and the abundance of flavonoids of C. ternatea extract which may encourage further studies to evaluate its possible applications as plant-derived antioxidants for the therapeutic management of various infectious diseases. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, phytochemical constituents, Clitoria ternatea