Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Methanol Extract and Solvent Fractions of Desmodium ramosissimum G. Don

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been linked to the pathogenicity of many diseases. This study investigated the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of the methanolic extract and solvent fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous) of Desmodium ramosissimum using Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride assays, respectively. The extract and solvent fractions were further appraised for their in vitro antioxidant capacity using total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods at varying concentrations of 25–300 µg/mL. Results revealed that ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions possessed elevated levels of TPC and TFC when compared to other solvent fractions and extracts in a concentration-dependent manner. The ethyl acetate fraction had the highest TPC (532.36 mg GAE/g), TFC (2843.33 mg QE/g), and ferric reducing potential (56.70 mg GAE/g) at 300 µg/mL. In addition, at 300 µg/mL, the TAC (77.33 mg AAE/g) of the n-butanol fraction and its DPPH radical scavenging ability (86.04%) were higher. As shown in this study, organic solvents with different chemical natures are capable of extracting chemical constituents with antioxidant components of different polarities, and D. ramosissimum may also be considered a rich source of natural antioxidants, justifying its pharmacological use in traditional medicine.

Studies on desmodium velutinum (Willd.) DC. leaf extract's polyphenol profile, in-vitro antioxidant capacity, and anti-proliferative activity of A549 cell lines

“…Hence, E.F showed a significantly higher antioxidant potency (p < 0.05) as analysed by molybdate ion reduction assay. This result is consistent with previous research on Desmodium triflorum(Lai et al, 2010) and Desmodium ramosissimumis(Ezealigo et al, 2021). As reported byLai et al (2010) andEzealigo et al (2021), the higher antioxidant activity expressed in the ethyl-acetate fraction of the Desmodium plant is due to the higher total phenolic content.…”

“…This result is consistent with previous research on Desmodium triflorum(Lai et al, 2010) and Desmodium ramosissimumis(Ezealigo et al, 2021). As reported byLai et al (2010) andEzealigo et al (2021), the higher antioxidant activity expressed in the ethyl-acetate fraction of the Desmodium plant is due to the higher total phenolic content. Similarly, in this study, E.F. presented with a higher total phenolic when compared with M.E and the fraction, B.F.…”

“…Even though a significant amount of kaempferol was identified in the fraction, E.F, cathechin was predominant. Little amount of cathechin have been reported in water extract of D. adscendes leaves (Muanda et al, 2011), the disparity in concentration in the cathechin in these plants may be largely due to the chemical structure of the solvent used for extraction (Ezealigo et al, 2021).…”

Natural feed additives and bioactive supplements versus chemical additives as a safe and practical approach to combat foodborne mycotoxicoses

“…The authors concluded that DPPH-free radical scavenging activity of methanolic extracts of A. leiocarpus and M. oleifera was similar to vitamin C and was better expressed as compared with B. refescens, I. asarifolia, G. senegalensis ( 145 ). A similar antioxidative effect and DPPH-free radical scavenging activity was also reported for methanolic extract of Desmodium ramosissimum, which could be another rich source of natural antioxidants, justifying its pharmacological use in traditional medicine ( 178 ).…”

Traditional medicinal uses and biological activities of species of the genus Desmodium: a literature review

“…In D. sequax chlorogenic acid is the main component of the antioxidant activity (Tsai et al, 2011). Many of the studies suggest that the effect is evidenced in a concentration-dependent manner and that the antioxidant potential varies depending on the solvent used in the extraction because each extract possesses unique chemical constituents (Sankar et al, 2013;Li et al, 2014a;Ezealigo, 2016).…”