Extraction Of Flavonoids Research Articles

Flavonoid Extracts from Lemon By-Products as a Functional Ingredient for New Foods: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review seeks to highlight, from the published literature about the extraction and application of lemon by-products rich in flavonoids, which works use environmentally friendly technologies and solvents and which ones propose a potentially functional food application, according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WoS and SCOPUS were used as scientific databases for searching the documents, which were evaluated through 10 quality questions according to their adherence to our purpose (5 questions evaluating papers devoted to lemon flavonoid extraction and 5 concerning the application of such by-products in new foods). Each question was evaluated as "Yes", "No", or "does Not refer", according to its adherence to our aim. The analysis reported 39 manuscripts related to lemon flavonoid extraction; 89% of them used green technologies and solvents. On the other hand, 18 manuscripts were related to the incorporation of lemon by-products into new foods, of which 41% adhered to our purpose and only 35% evaluated the functionality of such incorporation. Conclusively, although the bibliography is extensive, there are still some gaps for further investigation concerning the extraction and application of lemon by-products to reduce food losses in an environmentally friendly way and the possible development of new functional foods, which must be performed following the SDGs.

Extraction of Flavonoids from Flavedo Layers of Citrus Fruits Peels and its Expected Anti-Diabetic and Psychological Significance; a Biochemical and Family Medicine Overview

This study was aimed at the Extraction of Flavonoids from Albedo layers of citrus fruits peels and its expected anti-diabetic significance. Lemon (Citrus limon) is the third most important species of citrus after orange and mandarin. Flavedo is the peel’s outer layer. It is a rich source of essential oils. Albedo extract was separated. Study results clearly showed the presence (p ≤ 0.05) of flavonoids in Albedo citrus layers; peel > pulp > seeds. Flavonoids are the major constituents of dry citrus fruits as well as citrus peels. Citrus fruit prevents free radical generation and reduces homocysteine level; it also possesses anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids applications in medicinal chemistry includes anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. They also have neuroprotective and cardio-protective effects.

Microencapsulation of phenolic compounds extracted from soybean seed coats by spray-drying.

This study aimed to characterize and microencapsulate soybean seed coats phenolic compounds by spray-drying, evaluating physicochemical properties and storage stability. Different extraction methodologies were used to obtain crude extract (SCE), ethyl acetate fraction, water fraction, and bound phenolic extract. Extraction yield, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant capacity were determined. HPLC-electrospray ionization source-MS/MS analysis was performed on SCE. Microencapsulation by spray-drying of SCE incorporating 10%, 20%, and 30% maltodextrin (MD) was carried out. Drying yield (DY), encapsulation efficiency (EE), moisture, morphology and particle size, dry, and aqueous storage stability were evaluated on the microcapsules. SCE had 7.79g/100g polyphenolic compounds (mainly isoflavones and phenolic acids) with antioxidant activity. Purification process by solvent partitioning allowed an increase of phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Microcapsules with 30% MD exhibited the highest DY, EE, and stability. Microencapsulated polyphenolic compounds from soybean seed coats can be used as functional ingredients in food products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Soybean seed coat is a usually discarded agro-industrial by-product, which presents antioxidant compounds of interest to human health. These compounds are prone to oxidation due to their chemical structure; therefore, microencapsulation is a viable and reproducible solution to overcome stability-related limitations. Microencapsulation of soybean seed coats polyphenols is an alternative which protects and extends the stability of phenolic compounds that could be potentially incorporated into food products as a natural additive with antioxidant properties.

Aqueous two-phase systems coupled with chemometrics-enhanced HPLC-DAD for simultaneous extraction and determination of flavonoids in honey.

In this study, an accurate, rapid, green, and environment friendly method for the extraction and quantitative analysis of flavonoids in honey was established by using the aqueous two-phase extraction combined with the chemometrics-assisted HPLC-DAD. The first purpose of this study was to extract seven flavonoids in five different types of honey using alcohol/salt aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The system with 2.82mL sodium citrate (30%), 1.58mL water, and 3.10mL isopropanol, showed the highest flavonoids extraction yields in the top phase (87.66-101.50%). Additionally, the three-way array of honey samples based on HPLC-DAD was decomposed mathematically by the alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) algorithm to obtain reasonable chromatograms, spectra, and concentration profiles for each analyte. Compared with the traditional solid-phase extraction method, the ATPS-ATLD-based method showed satisfactory spiked recoveries, lower limit of detection, and higher sensitivity, further verifying its accuracy and stability.

Flavonoids extract from Rosa roxburghii fruit ameliorates carrageenan-induced thrombosis in mice

Flavonoids extract from Rosa roxburghii fruit ameliorates carrageenan-induced thrombosis in mice

INFLUENCE OF PROCESS PARAMETERS ON HAWTHORN(CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA JACK.)EXTRACTION

Given that many synthetic medications can induce a variety of negative reactions in patients, a search for natural substances with minimal side effects in patients has been conducted. Nowadays,researchers are focusing on plant medicines, which have been used to heal illnesses since ancient times. The plant Crataegus monogynaJack. (hawthorn) is the most abuntant plant in the Rosaceae family that is also used in traditional medicine. C. monogyna's pharmaceutical, phytochemical, functional, and therapeutic qualities are based on a wide range of useful secondary metabolites, which include phenolic compound (flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins), vitamin C and antioxidants.Total (poly)phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins contents in C. monogynaJacq.extracts were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, aluminium chloride and the pH differential methods, respectively. The extraction lasted 15to 120 min, with a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:15 w/v and 1:30 w/v and solvents of 30% and 60% ethanol.According to the results, the extraction process has the highest velocity within the first 15 min, when the majority of (poly)phenols and flavonoids are extracted, but it becomes slower as time passes. Higher yields are obtained by utilizing a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:30 w/v rather than a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:15 w/v, which indicates that when the amount of drug increases over a certain optimal value, the resistance to mass transferfrom a solid material to liquid increases. Finally, the results about the impact of the ethanol contentin the solvent demonstrate that a larger ethanol content greatly favors the extraction of flavonoids, but this is not as evident for the extraction of total (poly)phenols and anthocyanins.KEYWORDS:anthocyanins, extraction, flavonoids, (poly)phenols

Optimisation study on the flavonoid extraction process from Abrus precatorius leaves and the comparison of total flavonoid content by HPLC and UV

Abrus precatorius is a leguminous plant with high medicinal value. Its leaves are rich in flavonoids. There only are limited reports on the extraction process and quality assessment of total flavonoids in Abrus precatorius leaves (APL). This study presents the extraction process of total flavonoids in APL and its optimisation by response surface methodology (RSM). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV methods were used to determine the total flavonoid content and their differences were compared. The feasible extraction parameters of total flavonoids from APL were found to be 50% ethanol, a liquid-solid ratio of 50:1, an extraction time of 60 ​min and two extraction cycles. The number of extraction cycles was the main influencing factor. The total flavonoid content as determined by this optimised process was 69.0 ​mg/g by HPLC and 41.7 ​mg/g by UV. There was a significant difference between the total flavonoid content determined by the UV method and HPLC. A comparative analysis of 29 samples in RSM and 14 batches of APL showed that the total flavonoid content as determined by UV was only about half of that determined by HPLC. The factors that influence this difference and potential solutions to this challenge were discussed. The results of this study could lay a foundation for the quality assessment, standardisation, development and utilisation of flavonoids in APL.

Room-temperature synthesis of imine-linked magnetic covalent organic polymers in deep eutectic solvents for the extraction of flavonoids and their determination with HPLC-MS/MS.

A novel imine-linked magnetic covalent organic polymer, Fe3O4@TAB-TFPT, was synthesized using environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvents as the reaction medium instead of conventional organic solvents. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Subsequently, the materials were employed as an adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of flavonoids, including Kurarinone, Norkurarinone, Xanthohumol, and Isoxanthohumol, prior to their determination by HPLC-MS/MS. The validation results demonstrate good linearity within the concentration range 0.1-1000ng∙mL-1 (R2 ≥ 0.9963), high enrichment factors ranging from 18.9 to 30.7, and low LODs (0.01-0.05ng∙mL-1) and LOQs (0.05-0.1ng∙mL-1). Furthermore, recoveries between 80.60% and 108.40% with relative standard deviations ≤ 8.49% were achieved. The proposed MSPE-HPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the determination of flavonoids in Sophora flavescens Aition sample.

Evaluating the Protective Effect of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle in a Rat Model of Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has two subtypes called ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). They have the same tissue damage processes; however, differ in the initial procedures and immune regulatory aberrations. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) appears to have an important function and a key pathogenic role in CD and UC. In this paper, we evaluated the protective impact of the extract of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (tree of heaven), Simaroubaceae, in acetic acid-induced UC. Ferric-reducing capacity of plant extract, total phenols, and total flavonoid contents were measured in A. altissima ethanolic extract. Thirty male rats were randomly divided into six groups including control, normal, mesalazine 300 mg/kg (positive control) and 3 treatment groups with doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg for 7 days. Except for the normal group, all animals received 2 mL of 4% acetic acid infusion into the large intestine. Upon 48 h after the last gavage, the animals were euthanized. Acetic acid intracolonic administration resulted in a severe acute inflammation in the colonic tissue, which was improved by A. altissima extract at all examined doses in both microscopic and macroscopic aspects. In comparison to the control, TNF-α was considerably lower in the mesalazine and 200 mg/kg A. altissima extract groups. Conclusively, the valuable effects of the extract in the treatment of UC were confirmed by TNF-α levels, histological data, and macroscopic observations, especially at 200 mg/kg dosage. Future studies are recommended to further clarify the action mechanisms of this plant.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction and purification of total flavonoids with biological activities from Radix Puerariae

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction and purification of total flavonoids with biological activities from Radix Puerariae

Combination of supercritical CO2 and ultrasound for flavonoids extraction from Cosmos sulphureus: Optimization, kinetics, characterization and antioxidant capacity

A hyphenated technique using ultrasound-assisted supercritical CO2 extraction (UASCE) was developed to obtain flavonoids from Cosmos sulphureus. The highest total flavonoids content (TFC) achieved at 25 MPa pressure, 55 °C temperature, 10% cosolvent concentration, and 0.21 W/mL ultrasound energy density. UASCE improved TFC and antioxidant capacity of the extract, reduced extraction duration and extraction pressure, saved electric energy consumption and usages of CO2 and organic solvent, when compared with conventional extraction techniques. Furthermore, a high correlation between TFC and antioxidant capacity of the extract was found. HPLC analysis indicated that ultrasound effectively improved the individual concentrations of these flavonoids in extracts. Moreover, the kinetics study implied that the employed Sovová models were in good agreement with the experimental kinetic profiles. In conclusion, UASCE is a sustainable and efficient production technology in food and dietary supplement industries. Furthermore, Cosmos sulphureus can be considered as an attractive feedstock for natural flavonoids production.

Green extraction of phenolics and flavonoids from black mulberry fruit using natural deep eutectic solvents: optimization and surface morphology

This study deployed ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), combined with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), to extract phenolics and flavonoids from the black mulberry fruit, and the antioxidant activity was examined. The extraction yields of NADES-based UAE were assessed based on the yields of phenolics and flavonoids extracted from the black mulberry fruit. This study selected the molar ratios of hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) and hydrogen bond donors HBD at 1:2 from previous studies. Choline chloride-lactic acid showed the highest solubility with phenolics and flavonoids among NADES systems. One-factor experiments evaluated the effect of UAE conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), water content in NADES, temperature, and time) on TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity. The suitable NADES-based UAE conditions for extracting phenolics and flavonoids from the black mulberry fruit were 60 ml/g of LSR, 40% water content, 70 °C, and 15 min. Response surface methodology with the Box-Behnken design model optimized the NADES-based UAE process based on response (TPC, TFC, ABTS, OH, and DPPH). The optimal conditions for the NADES-based UAE process were 70 ml/g of LSR, 38.9% water content in NADES, 67.9 °C, and 24.2 min of extraction time. The predicted values of the Box-Behnken design were compatible with the experimental results. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to survey the surface of black mulberry fruit with and without sonication. SEM can assist in demonstrating the destructive effect of NADES and ultrasonic waves on material surfaces. SEM findings indicated the high surface destruction capacity of NADES, which partially contributed to a superior extraction yield of NADES than conventional organic solvents. The study proposes an efficient and green method for extracting bioactive compounds from black mulberry fruits. The black mulberry fruit extracts can be applied to meat preservation and beverages with high antioxidants.

Green Waste from Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Cultivation as a Source of Bioactive Flavonoids with Hypolipidemic Potential

Cucumber is an important agricultural crop that is cultivated under greenhouse conditions. Cucumber cultivation generates substantial quantities of green waste that require proper disposal. The lack of data on the chemical composition of cucumber greens and their biological activity emphasizes the necessity for research on useful products resulting from this widely available waste. Our examination of the flavonoid contents in the leaves and stems of 30 cucumber cultivars revealed 6 cultivars with high flavonoid contents. In addition, the cutting time did not cause negative effects, and we observed a positive effect with 0.05–0.10% organomineral fertilizer application on the flavonoid levels in the greens. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry detected 38 apigenin derivatives, including acylated and non-acylated cucumerins and C-, O-, and C,O-glycosides. Among these, 12 known flavonoids and 18 novel compounds were identified. The concentrations of these compounds in the six flavonoid extracts varied at 39.85–181.53 mg/g for the non-acylated flavones, 14.67–293.31 mg/g for the cucumerins, and 401.73–892.17 mg/g for the acylated flavones. Oral administration of the total flavonoid extracts (at a dosage of 100 g/kg/day) resulted in a hypolipidemic effect in hyperlipidemic hamsters, with subsequent normalization of their serum lipid profiles, malondialdehyde levels, and liver antioxidative enzyme activities. These results substantiate the lipid-lowering potential of cucumber waste extracts. Our investigation of the selected flavonoid activity showed that isovitexin-2′′-O-glucoside-6′′-O-p-coumarate (administered at 50 g/kg/day) had the highest hypolipidemic potency. These results can contribute to the practical use of cucumber green waste and the development of novel supplements for diseases linked to high-fat consumption.

Exploring the Feasibility of Cloud-Point Extraction for Bioactive Compound Recovery from Food Byproducts: A Review

In recent years, the production of food biomass waste has been increasing rapidly. This necessitates urgent measures to be taken so as to utilize them. Since most food biomass waste contains useful bioactive substances, cloud-point extraction (CPE) has emerged as a promising solution to valorize waste. CPE is an extraction method employed for the extraction and preconcentration of various chemical compounds, including polyphenols and flavonoids. As with any other extraction procedure, CPE isolates the target compound(s) from the sample, resulting in increased recovery. One major advantage of CPE is that the extraction is carried out without special equipment or harmful reagents. Moreover, other significant advantages are its effectiveness, simplicity, safety, and rapidity. This review focuses on the extraction of bioactive compounds from food-based waste using CPE and highlights the important parameters that can be tuned to improve the performance of CPE. Furthermore, the potential in promoting environmentally friendly practices within the food industry is also discussed.

The Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Two Sun-Dried Fig Varieties (Ficus carica L.) Produced in Eastern Morocco and the Investigation of Pomological, Colorimetric, and Phytochemical Characteristics for Improved Valorization

The eastern region of Morocco is renowned for the production of two varieties of figs, Ghoudane (GD) and Chetoui (CH), which are characterized by their high productivity and quality. To ensure a profitable selling price, producers often dry these figs, a process that not only increases their storage capability but also enhances their nutritional and health benefits. The aim of this study was to investigate the composition and potential health benefits of dried GD and CH figs. The findings of this study reveal that both varieties of dried figs have a rich composition of sugars, lipids, proteins, vegetable fibers, vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and other nutrients. Moreover, both GD and CH figs that have been sun-dried meet the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s standard in terms of dry matter and diameter. However, their marketability and commercial quality as dried figs are only classified as Category I or lower-caliber figs. In terms of color, CH figs are lighter and brighter than their GD counterparts, making them more appealing to consumers. Furthermore, this study investigated the extraction of polyphenols and flavonoids from both dried fig varieties using different solvents. Distilled water was found to be the best extraction solvent for polyphenols in both varieties, with GD figs showing a higher content (483.6 mg GAE/100 g) than CH figs (408.3 mg GAE/100 g). Meanwhile, ethanol was found to be the best extraction solvent for flavonoids, with GD figs (180.2 mg of QE/100 g) showing a higher content than CH figs (122.9 mg of QE/100 g). In addition, the majority of the extracts, particularly the ethanol extracts, showed high efficiency against the tested bacteria and yeast. Notably, dried GD figs had higher amounts of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to dried CH figs. The study also revealed high correlations between phytochemical content and both antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. In conclusion, this study highlights the nutritional and health benefits of dried figs, particularly the GD variety, and their potential as a natural source of antimicrobial compounds. The findings suggest that dried figs could be an alternative source of natural antimicrobial agents for various applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of flavonoids from peanut leave and stem using deep eutectic solvents and its molecular mechanism

Natural bioactive compounds extracted from agricultural by-products have received considerable attentions. Twenty-two kinds of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with ultrasonic were screened to extract flavonoids from peanut leave and stem. ChCl-acetic acid (ChCl-Aa) with 1:2 M ratio resulted in more effective extraction of flavonoids compared to other solvents The best extraction conditions were found to be at a 27% water content in DES/H2O, for 43 min with 31:1 g/mL liquid/solid ratio, giving 2.980 mg/g dw of flavonoids through the response surface method. SEM showed that ChCl-Aa had a certain dissociation impact on the sample matrix, while 1H NMR analysis revealed the formation of hydrogen bonds between daidzein and ChCl-Aa. Changes in the H–bond length and number were observed by the B3LYP/6-31G (d,p) level of theory to confirm the experimental spectra. This study reveals that DESs are efficient for obtaining value-added products and could applied to other natural products.

Baicalein inhibits apoptosis and autophagy induced by chlorpyrifos exposure to kidney of Cyprinus carpio through activation of PI3K/AKT pathway

Chlorpyrifos (CPF), a widely used organophosphate pesticide that has caused large-scale contamination globally, has become a major concern. Baicalein (BAI), as a flavonoid extract, shows anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant activities. The kidneys of fish serve to excrete toxins and are major target organs for environmental contaminants. However, it is not obvious whether BAI can counteract the damage caused by CPF exposure to fish kidneys. Therefore, we conducted a 30-day simulation of CPF poisoning and/or BAI treatment by adding 23.2 μg/L CPF to water and/or 0.15 g/kg BAI to feed. In the transmission electron microscopy results, we observed obvious phenomenon of autophagy and apoptosis in the CPF group, and the TUNEL staining and immunofluorescence of LC3B and p62 double-staining results confirmed that CPF induced autophagy and apoptosis in the kidney of common carp. Furthermore, CPF induced the increase of ROS level and inhibition of PI3K and Nrf2 pathways, which in turn triggered oxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis in carp kidney according to western blot, RT-qPCR and kit assays. However, addition of BAI significantly alleviated oxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis due to binding to PI3K protein. Additionally, through phylogenetic tree and structural domain analyses, we also found that the binding sites of BAI and PI3K are conserved in a variety of representative species. These results suggest that BAI antagonizes CPF-caused renal impairments in carp involving the PI3K/AKT pathway and the Nrf2 pathway. Our findings provide new insights into the nephrotoxicity effects of CPF and the potential use of BAI as a detoxification agent for CPF intoxication.

Standardised flavonoid extract from Diospyros kaki L.f leaves alleviates high blood pressure and ventricular hypertrophy on cortisone acetate-induced hypertensive rats

The current study was designed to investigate the anti-hypertensive effects of a standardised flavonoid extract from Diospyros kaki L.f leaves (DK extract) on cortisone acetate-induced hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced in Wistar rats by subcutaneously injecting 2.5 mg cortisone acetate daily and by maintaining the rats on a 1% sodium chloride diet for a period of 28 days. The hypertensive rats were treated daily with DK extract (50 and 100 mg/kg of body weight; p.o.) or captopril (20 mg/kg of body weight; p.o.), a reference drug, for 14 consecutive days. The blood pressure and heart rate of awake rats were measured using a non-invasive tail-cuff method. The heart weight and left ventricular wall thickness of rats were measured. In vitro angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity of the DK extract and captopril were analysed. DK extract significantly and dose-dependently reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the hypertensive rats. There were no significant changes observed in heart rate. The cortisone acetate-induced hypertensive rats had increased heart weight and left ventricular wall thickness. These actions were attenuated by the treatment of DK extract (100 mg/kg) and captopril. Moreover, DK extract inhibited ACE activity in vitro with an IC50 of 4.71±0.53 μg/ml. Our findings demonstrate that DK extract exerted anti-hypertensive effects and alleviated ventricular hypertrophy in the cortisone acetate-induced hypertensive rats and these actions occurred at least in part via ACE activity inhibition.

Microencapsulation by spray-drying and freeze-drying of extract of phenolic compounds obtained from ciriguela peel

Microcapsules of ciriguela peel extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were prepared by spray drying, whose results were compared with those of freeze-drying as a control. The effects of spray-drying air temperature, feed flow rate and ratio of encapsulating agents (maltodextrin and arabic gum) were studied. Encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, total phenolic compounds (TPC), water activity, hygroscopicity, solubility, colorimetric parameters, phenolic profile by HPLC/DAD, simulated gastrointestinal digestion and morphology of spray-dried and freeze-dried microcapsules were evaluated, as well as their stability of TPC during 90 days storage at 7 and 25 °C. Spray-dried extract showed higher encapsulation efficiency (98.83%) and TPC (476.82 mg GAE g−1) than freeze-dried extract. The most abundant compounds in the liquid extract of ciriguela peel flour were rutin, epicatechin gallate, chlorogenic acid and quercetin. Rutin and myricetin were the major flavonoids in the spray-dried extract, while quercetin and kaempferol were in the freeze-dried one. The simulated gastrointestinal digestion test of microencapsulated extracts revealed the highest TPC contents after the gastric phase and the lowest one after the intestinal one. Rutin was the most abundant compound after the digestion of both spray-dried (68.74 µg g−1) and freeze-dried (93.98 µg g−1) extracts. Spray-dried microcapsules were of spherical shape, freeze-dried products of irregular structures. Spray-dried microcapsules had higher phenolic compounds contents after 90 days of storage at 7 °C compared to those stored at 25 °C, while the lyophilized ones showed no significant difference between the two storage temperatures. The ciriguela agro-industrial residue can be considered an interesting alternative source of phenolic compounds that could be used, in the form of bioactive compounds-rich powders, as an ingredient in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

PROFILING OF PHYLLANTHUS AMARUS PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND EVALUATION OF ASSOCIATED ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL IN EXPERIMENTAL MICE

The failing curative ability of antimalarials has prompted an open discussion for the use of antioxidants in combination with antimalarials for effective chemotherapy. This study profiled the phytochemical constituents of Phyllanthus amarus and evaluated their antimalarial and antioxidant activities. Phytochemical screening, antimalarial and acute oral toxicity were determined according to standard procedures. Blood antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring antioxidant enzymes and nitric oxide (NO), concentrations of malarial infected mice treated with P. amarus phytochemicals. Alkaloids, the most abundant phytochemical, demonstrated the highest malarial parasite chemosuppression and greatly improved NO concentration in infected mice. However, flavonoid extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential with most significant impact on catalase and malondialdehyde activity. Alkaloid may function as antimalarial agent by inhibiting haem polymerization to hemozoin as judged by its increased effect on NO concentration which bears an reverse relationship with hemozoin.