Phytopharmacological Evaluation of Different Solvent Extract/Fractions From Sphaeranthus indicus L. Flowers: From Traditional Therapies to Bioactive Compounds

Abstract

Sphaeranthus indicus L. is a medicinal herb having widespread traditional uses for treating common ailments. The present research work aims to explore the in-depth phytochemical composition and in vitro reactivity of six different polarity solvents (methanol, n-hexane, benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) extracts/fractions of S. indicus flowers. The phytochemical composition was accomplished by determining total bioactive contents, HPLC-PDA polyphenolic quantification, and UHPLC-MS secondary metabolomics. The reactivity of the phenolic compounds was tested through the following biochemical assays: antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelation) and enzyme inhibition (AChE, BChE, α-glucosidase, α-amylase, urease, and tyrosinase) assays were performed. The methanol extract showed the highest values for phenolic (94.07 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid (78.7 mg QE/g extract) contents and was also the most active for α-glucosidase inhibition as well as radical scavenging and reducing power potential. HPLC-PDA analysis quantified rutin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, and epicatechin in a significant amount. UHPLC-MS analysis of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts revealed the presence of well-known phytocompounds; most of these were phenolic, flavonoid, and glycoside derivatives. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest inhibition against tyrosinase and urease, while the n-hexane fraction was most active for α-amylase. Moreover, principal component analysis highlighted the positive correlation between bioactive compounds and the tested extracts. Overall, S. indicus flower extracts were found to contain important phytochemicals, hence could be further explored to discover novel bioactive compounds that could be a valid starting point for future pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals applications.

Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Enzyme Inhibitory Activities of Various Organic Extracts from Apocynum hendersonii (Hook.f.) Woodson

“…The result of HCA is presented in Figure 4 C, which shows all the extracts clustering into five unique clusters in tandem with PCA proving that the extraction solvents have tremendously affected the bioactive constituents and activities. The result is similar to the findings on Sphaeranthus indicus [ 10 ]. Therefore, in selecting extraction solvents for plant bioactive components, the target constituents and their activities should be considered to preserve quality and maintain chemical structure [ 10 ].…”

“…The result is similar to the findings on Sphaeranthus indicus [ 10 ]. Therefore, in selecting extraction solvents for plant bioactive components, the target constituents and their activities should be considered to preserve quality and maintain chemical structure [ 10 ].…”

“…Moreover, numerous plants and their products have been reported and scientifically proven to have medicinal significance against many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, fever, hepatopathy, etc. [ 9 , 10 ]. Due to the increasing demand for bioactive compound-rich plants, the limited number of available wild plants, and prevent endangering of target plant species, several other plants are being investigated for possible medicinal potentials [ 4 , 6 ].…”

Physico-chemical and Phytochemical Analysis of Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. (Whole Plant)

“…Anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and ani-epileptic potential of Mundi can be attributed to presence of flavonoids and tannins present in it. [24] Though, there are various phytoconstituents present in the extracts of Mundi, there is a paucity of scientific data regarding their anxiolytic activity. Therefore, we cannot assign anxiolytic activity to the specific constituent.…”

Investigation of Euphorbia nivulia-HAM for Enzyme Inhibition Potential in Relation to the Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents and Radical Scavenging Activity

“…Enzyme inhibition may offer a potential basis for the discovery of new therapeutic agents [23,24]. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-glucosidase, Life 2022, 12, 321 3 of 11 urease, and carbonic anhydrase are examples of a few enzymes that are physiologically and pharmacologically very important.…”