Antioxidant activity and chemical composition of extracts from the leaves of Hydrcotyle bonariensis comm. Ex Lam

Abstract

Several studies revealed that oxidative stress was involved in a great number of diseases as a triggering factor or associated with evolutionary complications. Due to the side effects of synthetic molecules, medicinal plants always remained the reliable source of active substances for their therapeutic properties. In effect, this study of antioxidant activity and chemical composition was carried on Hydrocotyle bonariensis, a species frequently used for medical applications in Ivory Coast, but still very under researched. Different extracts obtained with solvents of increasing polarity were tested by the ABTS radical scavenging method and compared to a reference antioxidant, namely vitamin C. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed according to standard procedures. The results revealed that all extracts significantly and dose-dependently inhibited the ABTS- radical. Ethylacetate and methanolic extracts were most active with IC50 values of 58.8±0.30 and 86.4±0.51 µg/mL, respectively, relative to vitamin C (IC50 = 15.7±0.06 µg/mL). Antioxidant-associated phytocompounds such as flavonoids and coumarins were detected in ethylacetate and methanolic extracts. These compounds were responsible for the ABTS radical reduction reported. This study indicated the presence of substances in Hydrocotyle bonariensis’s leaves, which, in generally are excellent antioxidants and can contribute to prevent various diseases as cardiovascular diseases among others.