Phytochemical and antioxidant potential of selected plants from Mianwali, Pakistan

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the total phenolic and flavonoid content and DPPH free-radical scavenging activity of Vernonia amygdalina planted in Mekong Delta. The optimized conditions for maceration of pandan leaves included drying method, ratio of pandan leaf powder-to-solvent, and extraction time.
 Methodology: The fresh pandan leaves were divided into two equal portions, subjected to different drying methods: shade and oven drying. The dried leaf powder was macerated in ethanol at room temperature. The maceration was conducted with 3 different ratios of pandan leaf powder-to-solvent (w/v) (1:10, 1:15 and 1:20), and the extraction time was 1, 2 and 3 days. The total flavonoid content was determined using aluminum chloride method whereas the total phenolic content was assessed using Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity of the plant extracts was quantitatively evaluated using DPPH test.
 Results: The results indicated that the best conditions for maceration of pandan leaves were 1:10 shade-dried leaf powder-to-solvent ratio in 1-day extraction time. Accordingly, the total flavonoid and phenolic content was found to be the highest value of 130.02 ± 2.24 mg QE/g of dried extract and 100.67 ± 1.76 mg GAE/g of dried extract (p < 0.05), respectively. The lowest IC50 of DPPH free-radical scavenging activity of pandan leaf extract was found to be 0.90 ± 0.02 mg/mL (p < 0.05). In addition, the Pearson’s correlation coefficient between IC50 of DPPH free-radical scavenge activity and total flavonoid content was R2 = 0.74 compared to that of phenolic content with the value of R2 = 0.69, indicating that the IC50 of DPPH free-radical scavenge capacity of pandan leaves was influenced chiefly by flavonoid compounds.
 Conclusion: There was a significant difference in phenolic and flavonoid content and DPPH free-radical scavenging activity between shade-dried and oven-dried pandan leaf extracts.

Senna didymobotrya has been used in Kenya by the Kipsigis community to control malaria as well as diarrhoea. The Pokot prepare charcoal from the stem for milk preservation. Research has not been done to investigate the effect of different extraction solvents on yield, total phenolic and flavonoid content of Senna didymobotrya plant roots. The aim of this study was to compare root extract yield of diethyl-ether, methanol, and aqueous solvents; phytochemical screening; and total phenolic and flavonoid content of Senna didymobotrya plant roots. Extraction was done by the Soxhlet method. Phytochemical screening was done using Harborne's (1973) method with a slight modification. Total flavonoid content was determined by aluminium chloride colourimetric assay at 420 nm. Total phenolic content was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu at 760 nm using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Extraction yield of diethyl ether, methanol, and distilled water were 3.72 g (7.44%), 4.97 g (9.94%), and 9.09 g (18.18%), respectively, showing a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the yields obtained using the different solvents. Phytochemical screening was positive for phenols, tannins, saponins, gladiac glycosides, anthraquinones, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Total flavonoid content was found to be 48.3 ± 1.5 (QEmg/g) and total phenol content was calculated as 34.5 ± 0.1 (GAEmg/g). Distilled water can be utilized as the best extraction solvent. Senna has a high amount of flavonoid and phenolic content. The limitation of this research is that it only tested root extracts and not leaves, flowers, or seeds. More studies need to be done to isolate the different compounds identified.

Aims: Plants need an appropriate amount of nutrients such as copper for growth and development. However, excess of copper may interrupt plant development and cause stress that led to biochemical compounds being synthesized. The influence of a high copper sulfate concentration on phenolic and flavonoid content in Phyllanthus tenellus plants was investigated.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted in a government compound at MARDI Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia (2° 59' 31.7292'' N 101° 41' 56.706'' E), from April 2021 to Jun 2021.
 Methodology: The experiment was conducted using a vertical column planting system under a side-netted rain shelter. The plants were subjected to 0.5 M copper sulfate sprayed after 60 days of planting and harvested 0.5, 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after sprayed for further analysis. Total phenolic content was calculated as mg gallic acid equivalent and total flavonoid content was measured as quercetin equivalent.
 Results: Highest total phenolic and flavonoid content was detected after 0.5 hours of copper sulfate application and started to decrease towards 24 hours after sprayed. Treated samples showed a 1.18-fold increase in total phenolic content and 1.4-fold increase in total flavonoid content compared to control untreated samples after 0.5 hours of sprayed. Control samples showed stability in both total phenolic and flavonoid content throughout the harvesting periods. Phenolic is the major secondary metabolites in Phyllanthus tenellus plants.
 Conclusion: Data revealed that the application of 0.5 M copper sulfate is able to enhance total phenolic and flavonoid content in Phyllanthus tenellus plants. The study suggested that the optimum harvesting time is 0.5 hours after copper sulfate application.

Phenolic and flavonoid contents in plants play a great role in scavenging free radicals in the body and act as antioxidants; thus making their determination very vital. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the methanol extract of Voacanga africana root bark and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol) were carried out in this study. The total phenolic content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteau assay while the the total flavonoid content was determined by the aluminium chloride colorimetric assay method. The result obtained showed that n-hexane fraction of the plant exhibited the highest (116.607±95.13 mgGAE/g) total phenolic content (TPC) at all concentrations followed by ethyl acetate fraction of the plants. The highest total flavonoid content across concentrations (300, 250, 200, 100, 50 and 25 μg/ml) was exhibited by n-hexane fraction (467.143±44.22 mg QE/g). From the results, it was concluded that n-hexane fraction of V. Africana root bark exhibited the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents at all concentrations (ppm), followed by ethyl acetate. It could be deduced that V. africana root bark possesses phenolic and flavonoid contents depending on the type of extract or fraction; thus justifying its folkloric use in the treatment of diseases.Keywords: Phytochemicals, Phenols, Flavonoids, Voacanga africana, Root bark, Fraction

BACKGROUND As the longevity of human lives has increased, the geriatric population is increasing demonstrating more number of oral candidal infections due to decreased immunity. Natural products are being investigated to be used to treat oral candidiasis in place of synthetic drugs in selective geriatric cases. Propolis is one such natural product, which is time tested and developed by nature as an antimicrobial agent. Its toxicity is very less. It can be used in multiple forms. It has the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties apart from antibiotic properties and potency of the material improves as it matures with time. But the constituents of Propolis differ with the different sources of procurement. We wanted to evaluate the efficacy of the Propolis procured from Hubballi against Candida albicans in this study. METHODS In this invitro study, Hubballi Propolis was extracted by maceration and refluxing. Water and 70 % ethanol were used as extraction solvents. Total Phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by using Folin - Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method and Aluminium chloride colorimetric method respectively. Antimicrobial sensitivity effect of Propolis was estimated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the samples. RESULTS The results of the studies revealed that propolis samples have effective antifungal activity against Candida albicans with MIC range from 0.01mg / ml to 0.03 mg / ml and comparable high total phenolic (TP) and total flavonoid (TF) contents ranging from 175.4 ± 5.7 to 192.2 ± 3.3 and 33.08 ± 10 to 31.73 ± 8.5 mg / ml respectively. CONCLUSIONS Hubballi Propolis can be used for treating Candidal infection. Further, water extract Propolis showed better in total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) than the alcohol extract. This finding is important to overcome the disadvantage of alcohol extract and hence very useful for application in Dentistry, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. KEY WORDS Antifungal Activity, Hubballi Propolis, Flavonoid Content, Phenolic Content

The focus of the present study was to determine the association of the anti-oxidant activity of Costus speciosus (Koen Ex. Retz.) Sm. with the total phe-nolic content and the total flavonoid content. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was quantified by diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method and the total flavonoid content was determined by the aluminium chloride method. Among the four extracts of the plant, the ethanol extract exhibited the high-est antioxidant activity and also the highest total phenolic and flavonoid con-tents. A strong correlation was observed between the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. A statistical model was de-rived to explain this dependence and a non-linear association was observed between the antioxidant activity and the total flavonoid content.

Solanum anguivi Lam. is an ethnomedicinal plant. Local traditional practitioners believe that it reduces the risk of diabetes and atherosclerosis diseases. The present study was intended to conduct qualitative phytochemical analysis, determine the total flavonoid and phenolic contents, estimate the antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activities of the extracts of the fruits of this plant. The antioxidant activity was determined by analyzing the radical scavenging activity (RSA) using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The antibacterial activities were determined by the agar well diffusion method. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the crude extracts obtained from the fruits of the plant indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, saponins and tannins. The highest total phenolic and total flavonoid content were obtained in the ethanol extract of the fruits, followed by dichloromethane and n-hexane extract. The total phenolic content (in gallic acid equivalents, GAE) ranged from 113.3 to 202.72 mg GAE/g. The total flavonoid content (in catechin equivalent, CE) varied from 61.72 to 142.64 mg (CE)/g. All fruit extracts of S. anguivi exhibited antioxidant activity as revealed by DPPH and FRAP assays. The DPPH RSA (% inhibition) of the fruit extract varied from 35.11 to 80.13. The total phenolic and Flavonoid contents showed alinear correlation with RSA. Furthermore, all fruit extracts showed antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria varying from 12.5 to 16.75 mm. The result showed that the extracts of the plant exerted stronger bactericidal effect on gram-positive bacteria than on gram-negative bacteria. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2021.1993087 .

Sixty Brazilian honey samples were analysed for their total phenolic content with the Folin-Denis reagent, total flavonoid content by aluminium chloride method, and antioxidant activity by reaction with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. Colour was also classified according to visual analysis and Pfund scale. Linear relationships were observed between colour and flavonoid content, total phenolics and antioxidant capacity, and total flavonoid and phenolic contents. The white-coloured Citrus honey showed the lowest antioxidant activity, while the light ambar Verbenaceae honey showed the highest total phenolics and antioxidant activity. Dark-coloured and polyfloral honeys, though less popularized among consumers, showed average to high antioxidant capacity.

Interactive effects of abscisic acid and temperature on rosmarinic acid, total phenolic compounds, anthocyanin, carotenoid and flavonoid content of dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.)

The total phenolic and flavonoid content were assessed in Ficus deltoidea that growing in the greenhouse under four different water field capacity (FC) condition, namely: A40 (40% FC), A60 (60% FC), A80 (80% FC), and A100 (100% FC-control) and in the field, investigated for 6, 9, and 12 months after planting (MAP). This finding showed that the drought stress treatment increased the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of F. deltoidea that grown in the greenhouse. The highest TPC of stems extract were obtained on A40 at 12 MAP, whereas the highest TFC of stems extracts found at 6 months MAP. Leaves extract has the higher TPC and TFC on 12 MAP as compared to 6, and 9 MAP. The result showed that the older the plant age of F. deltoidea the higher the TPC and TFC of leaves. At the 12 MAP, the leaves extract has the higher TFC as compared to the stems extract.

Six cultivars of kiwifruits grown in Korea, including Actinidia eriantha ‘Bidan’, A. arguta ‘Chiak’, A. arguta ‘Darae No. 2’, A. chinensis ‘Haegeum’, A. chinensis ‘Haehyang’, and A. arguta × A. deliciosa ‘Mansoo’, were harvested at various maturity stages to test whether kiwifruit maturity has an influence on antioxidant capacity or total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Kiwifruit extracts were isolated using absolute methanol and then 80% (v·v-1) aqueous methanol during homogenization. ‘Bidan’, collected at the second harvest stage, contained the greatest amount of total phenolics (775.3 mg gallic acid equivalents·100 g-1 fresh weight) and had the highest antioxidant capacity [816.5, 633.2, and 2,662.7 mg vitamin C equivalents·100 g-1 fresh weight for 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) scavenging, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays, respectively] among cultivars tested, while ‘Haehyang’, collected at the first harvest, contained the greatest amount of total flavonoids (13.1 mg catechin equivalents·100 g-1 fresh weight). Kiwifruit cultivar and genotype influenced antioxidant capacity, as well as total phenolic and flavonoid contents. No trend, however, was observed in total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and in the antioxidant capacity with respect to maturity stage. Antioxidant capacity had a higher linear correlation coefficient with total phenolic contents than with total flavonoid contents. The results above suggest that kiwifruits at various maturity stages are a valuable source of phenolics and antioxidants for industrial application and consumer health benefit.

Eriobotrya plants are known to have significant amounts of phenolics and flavonoids, and exhibit a strong antioxidant activity. Experiments were conducted to examine variation in the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, and antioxidant activities in the leaves of 11 Eriobotrya species (Tibet loquat, Daduhe loquat, Hengchun loquat, Taiwan loquat, Oak leaf loquat, Bengal loquat, Fragrant loquat, Guangxi loquat, Obovate loquat, Big flower loquat, and common loquat, the last species include two materials, one is a cultivar 'Zaozhong 6', another is a wild tree). In these species, 'Zaozhong 6' loquat is a cultivar. The leaf extracts of 'Tibet', 'Obovate', 'Taiwan', 'Bengal' and 'Hengchun' loquats exhibited significantly higher contents of total flavonoids and total phenolics, compared with those of other species. Of these 11 species, the highest contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids were observed in 'Tibet' and 'Obovatae' loquats, respectively. The significantly stronger antioxidant abilities assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity and reducing power were obtained in the leaf extracts of 'Taiwan', 'Tibet', 'Bengal', 'Oak leaf', 'Hengchun' and 'Obovate' loquats, compared with the other species. In addition, significant correlations were found between the contents of total phenolics or flavonoids and DPPH radical scavenging activity/reducing power. This work indicates that the leaf extracts of the wild Eriobotrya species, 'Tibet', 'Obovatae', 'Taiwan', 'Bengal', 'Oak leaf' and 'Hengchun' loquats, exhibited significantly higher levels of total phenolics and flavonoids, and significantly stronger antioxidant activities, compared with the cultivated species, 'Zaozhong 6' loquat, which suggests that these wild species have a better utilization value.

Onosma bracteatum (Boraginaceae) is a plant species known for its traditional medicinal uses due to the presence of bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, and other secondary metabolites. The current study aims to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid content in different solvent extracts of Onosma bracteatum leaves using a successive extraction method. The solvents used include chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and aqueous extracts. The study also investigates the phytochemical composition of the extracts and their potential antioxidant properties. The results indicated that the percentage yield of the extracts varied significantly, with the aqueous extract yielding the highest (9.21%), followed by ethanol (5.85%), ethyl acetate (2.36%), and chloroform (0.77%). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, phenols, proteins, and carbohydrates in the extracts, with ethanol and aqueous extracts showing the highest levels of flavonoids and phenolic content. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were quantified using standard calibration curves, and the ethanol extract exhibited the highest TPC (3.12 mg/100mg) and TFC (2.68 mg/100mg). The findings suggest that Onosma bracteatum contains significant amounts of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds and flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other therapeutic properties. These results support the potential use of Onosma bracteatum as a source of natural antioxidants for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the biological activities of these extracts, including their potential in treating oxidative stress-related disorders.

Very few studies have thus far evaluated the impact of various processing and preservation techniques (blanching, frying, freezing, dehydration, and sun drying) on the levels of total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of okra. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different processing and preservation methods on the levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of okra. The ethanolic extracts of each sample were analyzed before and after preservation and storage for a period of three months. The results showed a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (134.1 mg GAE/100g) and DPPH (1-1-diphenyl1-2-pricrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity (IC50 value of 3.0 mg/mL) in blanched okra when compared to fresh okra (86.35 mg GAE/100g and IC50 value of 3.8 mg/mL, respectively). Fresh okra exhibited the highest flavonoid content (105.75 mg QE/100g), while sun-dried okra samples stored for three months exhibited a decrease in total phenolic content (14.45 mg GAE/100g), total flavonoid contents (13.25 mg QE/100g), reducing power activity (23.30%), and DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 value of 134.8 mg/mL). The DPPH inhibition activities of all okra treatments showed a significant and positive correlation with the okra phenolic and flavonoid content (r = 0.702 and 0.67, respectively). The reducing power activity (%) of okra treatments exhibited a strong correlation (r) with phenolic contents (r = 0.966), and the correlation with flavonoid contents was 0.459. Generally, different processing and preservation methods of okra revealed that the impact on total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant activities, was slightly significant among samples preserved using the same method during storage. In addition, blanched and frozen okra resulted in the highest retention of phenolic contents and antioxidant activities.

The sweet chestnut fruit has always had great importance in the southern European countries. Chestnut production is an important source of income and a crop of high environmental value thanks to its role in soil protection. It is also a good food with enormous potential for various aspects of health because of its nutritional qualities. The quality of sweet chestnuts is affected by various factors, such as climatic conditions and cultivation inputs. It is very important to recognize the impacts of climate on chestnut fruits, to improve our current understanding of climate–chestnut interconnections. The current study investigated and compared the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of different cultivars of chestnuts grown in different geographic areas of northwest Spain. The results obtained with three antioxidant capability assays (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays) were highly correlated. All the samples had high antioxidant capacity and high total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, which depended both on cultivar and growth region. Ventura variety, harvested in the coldest environments, presented the highest values of antioxidant activity (IC50DPPH = 34.5 g/L), total phenolic content (131.84 mg equivalent of gallic acid/100 g FW) and total flavonoids (7.77 mg eq. catechin/100 g). The variations in the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of different cultivars, and their associations with climatic environmental factors, revealed the significant impacts of these factors on the synthesis of specialized metabolites and on the nutraceutical potential of chestnuts. The results can provide valuable information for selection of the cultivar and the cultivation conditions of the chestnut, in order to obtain chestnuts with high-quality bioactive characteristics.