Phytochemical investigation and antioxidant analysis of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Euphorbia polycnemoides aerial parts
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Abstract
Background: This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and in vitro antioxidant potential of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts, from the aerial parts of Euphorbia polycnemoides.
Methods: Aerial parts of the plant were collected and extracted using ethyl acetate and methanol. The extracts were subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening to identify and quantify secondary metabolites. Their antioxidant activity was assessed using ferric reducing, DPPH, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays.
Results: Qualitative screening revealed the presence of tannins, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides, and reducing sugars in both extracts while phlobatannin was absent. Quantitative analysis showed tannins to be the most abundant phytochemical, with methanol and ethyl acetate extracts containing 58.66 ± 0.28 mg/100 g and 50.95 ± 2.63 mg/100 g, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract had a higher concentration of alkaloids (57.22 ± 0.35 mg/100 g), while the methanol extract showed greater content of cardiac glycosides (47.92 ± 0.08 mg/100 g). Both extracts demonstrated a strong, dose-dependent antioxidant capacity. The ethyl acetate extract consistently exhibited superior potency, achieving 81.97 ± 0.38% DPPH scavenging activity at 100 µg/mL suggesting its efficiency in extracting key antioxidant.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that E. polycnemoides aerial parts are rich in bioactive compounds with significant antioxidant potential, supporting their traditional use and suggesting their promise as a source of natural therapeutic agents with applications in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases.
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