Abstract
Phytochemical screening of Alphitonia philippinensis extracts revealed the presence of cardiac glycosides, tannins, saponins and steroids in different plant parts. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total flavonol content (TFlC) were measured using spectrophotometric methods where gallic acid and quercetin were the standards. Antioxidant activity of extracts was assessed using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2̉-azino-bis(3- ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays using ascorbic acid and trolox were used as standards. Among the four different crude methanol extracts studies, leaves showed highest antioxidant capacity. EC50 values of the leaves extract from DPPH and ABTS method found 32 and 45 μg/mL respectively. The higher antioxidant activity of the leaves extract could be correlated with the presence of higher total phenolic content, total flavonoid, and total flavonol contents. According to antioxidant contents and assay results leaves extract possesses highest antioxidant property following fruits, barks and stems.
Highlights
Throughout history, humans have relied on nature to manage their basic needs for food, shelter, garments, transportation, fertilizers, medicines and essence
The phytochemical screening of crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, barks, stems and fruits of A. philippinensis showed the presence of some secondary metabolites such as steroids, tannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides (Table 1)
Cardiac glycosides and steroids were detected in all plant parts of the A. philippinensis
Summary
Throughout history, humans have relied on nature to manage their basic needs for food, shelter, garments, transportation, fertilizers, medicines and essence. Numerous medicines have been derived from natural sources for the treatment of various types of diseases in humans and animals from the very beginning of human civilization and most of them come from plants. These plantbased treatments play a vital role in many health care systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that approximately 80% of the world’s inhabitants rely mainly on traditional medicines for their primary health care.[1,2] Plants contain a wide range of secondary metabolites and phytochemicals such as phenols, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, anthraquinones, saponins, nitrogen compounds (alkaloids, amines, and betalains), terpenoids and many other endogenous –molecules.[3,4,5] Many scientific reports provide evidence for their antioxidant, antimicrobial antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anticancer, antitumor, antiviral, antidiabetic, and many others therapeutic values.[5,6,7,8,9]
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