IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES (IJCCP )

E-I SSN 2545-5265
P- ISSN 2695-1916
VOL. 11 NO. 1 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijccp.v11.no1.2025.pg57.73

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Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Acalypha Wilkesiana Leaves

Idowu Ayobami Akinkunmi and Edewor Theresa Ibibia

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Abstract

Oxidative stress is one of the problems facing in healthcare system and is a vital cause of most deadly diseases. Modern medicine has done much to combat these diseases but most of the drugs have side effects that are also detrimental to the patient and also very expensive. This study aimed to determine the antioxidant potential and also qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the phytochemicals of Acalypha wilkesiana leaf. The leaves were collected, air-dried and pulverized. The leaves were extracted and screened to determine phytochemicals that are present using a standardized protocol. Flavonoids, saponins and phenolics contents were quantified using spectrophotometric assay. The phytochemicals that are present in the extract were identified using GC-MS while the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract was determined using DPPH and FRAP assay.From this study, it was observed that alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, steroids, and coumarin were present in methanolic extract while only alkaloids, steroids and coumarin are present in n-hexane extract of the plant. Spectrophotometric assay revealed a total flavonoid, saponin and phenolic content to be 29.988 ± 0.089(QE/mg/g), 2.3 4± 0.042 (mg/g), 81.627 ± 0.321(GAE/mg/g) respectively. The GC-MS analysis revealed 16 compounds. The first compound identified is 2-Propanone with retention time of 5.98 minutes while the last is 9-Octadecenoic acid, (2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl ester, trans- with retention time of 40.00 minutes. Among the compounds that were identified, Di-n-octyl phthalate (33.64 minutes) and 7-Tetradecene (11.75 minute) showed the highest percentage composition of 12.97% and 12.52% respectively. The results of the DPPH and FRAP assays of Methanolic extract shows the DPPH radical scavenging percentage of 47.21% and the FRAP value of 113.61 ?mol Fe²+/g with IC50 value of 24.21 ?g/mL and IC50 of 120.2 respectively. This shows

keywords:

Oxidative-stress; Phytochemicals; GC-MS; Antioxidant; Acalypha wilkesiana, leaves

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