Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Leaves and Seed as a Potential Source of the Bioactive Compounds: Effects of Various Extraction Solvents on Biological Properties

Abstract

Hibiscus cannabinus (Kenaf) is a potential source of bioactive constituents and natural antioxidant. The current study determined the impact of various solvents on extraction yield, recovery of polyphenol and flavonoid, antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties of Kenaf leaves and seed. The powder of leaves and seed was separately extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water solvent. Among them, the ethanol extract of leaves and seed showed the highest extraction yield, and their GC-MS analysis revealed a total of 55 and 14 bioactive compounds, respectively. The total polyphenols (TP) and flavonoids (TF) content were quantified by a spectrophotometric technique where water extracts displayed a noteworthy amount of TP and TF content compared to other extracts. A similar demonstration was noticed in antioxidant activity, evaluated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging capacity. In addition, cytotoxicity and anti-lung cancer activity were identified against mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH3T3) and human lung cancer (A549) cells. All extracts of leaves and seed were observed as non-toxic to the NIH3T3 cells, but slight toxicity was expressed by n-hexane extracts at the optimum dose (1000 µg/mL) of treatment. In parallel, n-hexane and ethanol extracts (leaves and seed) exposed promising anti-lung cancer activity at the same concentration. Furthermore, antibacterial activity was assessed using disc diffusion assay, and seed extracts exhibited a significant inhibition zone against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms. Overall, Kenaf seed extracted with polar solvents was found very potent in terms of important bioactive compounds and pharmacological aspects, which can be an excellent biological matrix of natural antioxidants.

Polysaccharides, Total Phenolic, and Flavonoid Content from Different Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Genotypes and Their Antioxidants and Antibacterial Properties

“…These findings suggest that the antibacterial effects of kenaf leaf extracts vary depending on genotype. Moreover, phenolic, flavonoid, and polysaccharide composition of the extracts are the primary inhibitors of bacteria by the alteration of membrane integrity and permeability [6,34,45,46]. The antibacterial properties of kenaf leaf extract as obtained in this study exhibited great potential as an antibacterial agent for the preservation of food.…”

“…CS18 extract exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity (20.55%). Previous study reported that the DPPH radical scavenging activity of kenaf leaves' extracts exhibited about 65.35% of inhibition [34]. Among the 33 kenaf genotypes analyzed, 22 exhibited higher DPPH scavenging activity than the scavenging capacity of H. sabdariffa leaf extract reported in a previous study with a value of 65.19% [35].…”

Evaluation of Various Solvent Extracts of Tetrastigma leucostaphylum (Dennst.) Alston Leaves, a Bangladeshi Traditional Medicine Used for the Treatment of Diarrhea

“…To evaluate the intrinsic anti-diarrheal value of a plant, various efficient extraction techniques such as soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, subcritical water extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and maceration with suitable solvents are prerequisites. Moreover, plant bioactives represent diverse chemical characteristics and polarities that are not all readily soluble in a particular solvent [18]. In this regard, solvent extraction followed by successive fractionation can be used to obtain semi-purified extracts, which further help to identify potential lead compounds [19].…”

Phycocyanin from Arthrospira platensis as Potential Anti-Cancer Drug: Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

“…Over the last few decades, products from natural, non-synthetic origin have become increasingly important for the prevention and treatment of cancer due to the toxic side effects of many synthetic anti-cancer drugs [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Arthrospira platensis (AP), often called “Spirulina”, belongs to the phylum of cyanobacteria with characteristic photosynthetic capability [ 5 ]).…”