Phytochemical profile and antioxidant potential of Carapa guianensis Aubl. (Meliaceae) Leaves

Abstract

Introduction: The use of medicinal plants by the population dates back to ancient times, representing a practice rooted in different cultures around the world. Therefore, scientific validation of the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants is essential to guarantee their effectiveness and safety. Among the plants of interest to the Unified Health System – SUS, we have Carapa guianensis, a plant species widely distributed in the Amazon region, which has aroused interest due to its potential medicinal properties. Objectives: Therefore, the objective of this study is to describe the chemical composition of Carapa guianensis leaves and quantitatively evaluate the content of polyphenols and flavonoids. Furthermore, investigate the antioxidant action of extracts and fractions obtained from these leaves. Methodology: Carapa guianensis leaves were collected, dried and pulverized, then subjected to an extractive percolation process with 70% ethanol, using 1:12 (w/v) hydromodule, filtered and concentrated, with the dried extract resuspended in water/ethanol (6:4) and partitioned to obtain the fractions. To identify the compounds present, High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to an ultraviolet detector–HPLC-UV-Vis was used, in addition to determining the content of Polyphenols, Flavonoids and antioxidant activity via DPPH. Results: Compounds such as Rutin and Quercitrin were identified in higher concentrations in the extracts and fractions, the flavonoid content ranged from 56.32 to 123.70 mg QE/g and the total polyphenol content ranged from 329.42 to 456.66 mg GAE/ g; the crude extract presented EC50: 2.967 µg/mL for antioxidant action, while the fractions presented EC50 values between 1.087 and 4.989 µg/mL. Conclusion: In this way, it was demonstrated that the leaves of C. guianensis contain phenolic compounds that can serve as natural sources of antioxidant agents, indicating the search for other biological potential for the plant species.