In-vitro comparative study of solvent effect on antioxidant properties of leaf extracts of Anthocleista djalonensis

Abstract

This study demonstrated that the extraction solvents play an important role in the extraction of important bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties from the leaves of Anthocleista djalonensis. Anthocleista djalonensis, a plant native to tropical Africa, is believed to have antioxidant properties due to its bioactive composition. The powdered leaves were macerated using local gin, hot distilled water, and analytical ethanol to extract bioactive compounds. The in vitro antioxidant activity of these extracts was assessed using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assays, nitric oxide scavenging assay, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Ascorbic acid was used as a reference. The DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging tests showed concentration-dependent responses. Distilled water had the lowest IC50 value of 0.079 mg/ml and showed the most antioxidant potential in DPPH. Local gin demonstrated significant hydrogen peroxide scavenging ability with an IC50 value of 0.12 mg/ml, surpassing the standard drug. The nitric oxide scavenging assay showed a concentration-dependent increase in both ethanol and local gin extracts. Ethanol and local gin extracts showed maximum antioxidant activity, with ethanol extract showing 22.84% inhibition and local gin extract showing a higher activity of 46.29% inhibition. However, ascorbic acid showed the highest inhibition of nitric oxide production at 57.10%. The study highlights the importance of solvent selection in herbal preparation for optimal health benefits regarding antioxidant activity.