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RESEARCH Open Access
Phytochemical Characterization and Antioxidant Bioactivity of Androgra-
phis paniculata (Nees)
Abiodun O. Owoade1*, Abdullahi O. Alausa1, Adewale Adetutu1, Olubukola S.
Olorunnisola1, Akinade W. Owoade 2
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University
of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Univer-
sity of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Medicinal plants ar e na tural sour ces of antioxid ants effective in th e tr eatment of r adical-
mediated diseases. This study evaluated the in-vitro a ntioxidant and phytochemical constituents of the methanolic
leaves extract of A ndrographis paniculata .
Methods: Fr esh A. paniculata leaves were har vested fr om a loca l farm, air -dried and extracted with methanol.
Chemical composition, antioxidant activities, and α-amylase enzyme inhibitory potentials of the extract were deter-
mined
Results: T he extra ct of A . paniculata concent ration-dependently scavenges 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
(DPPH) and 2,2’azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acids) (ABTS) radicals. It scavenges nitric oxide
radicals with IC50 of 145.99 μg/ml compared to 167.17 μg/ml of standard ascorbic acid and has 41% activity of
standard ascorbic acid ferric reducing power. The extract also inhibited the induction of lipid peroxidation and α-
Amylase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The phytochemical assays employed revealed the presence
of various phytochemicals in the extract. Further analysis with gas-chromatography revealed the possible presence
of Andrographolide, Deoxyandrographolide, Apigenin, Kaempferol, Quercetin, Methyl vanillate, Methyl Caffeate,
Beta-sitosterol, Vanillic acid in the extract. The total phenolics content was found to be 29.11mg GAE/g, and prox-
imate analysis revealed the moisture content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, total ash, and Nitrogen free ex-
tract to be 21.89%, 5.66%, 8.74%, 0.95%, 6.87%, and 55.89% respectively.
Conclusion: The plant A . pan iculata d emon str ated good a ntioxidant potentials and contain var ious ph yto-
chemicals. Therefore, it could be inferred that the effectiveness of A. paniculata as a medicinal plant could be due
to the presence of various phenolics and antioxidant compounds in the plant.
Keywords: P hytochemical const ituents, Andrographis pan iculata, Antioxid ant, Lip id per oxidat ion, Ga s-
chromatography
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021): 5(2): 246-256
Pan African Journal of Life Sciences Volume 5 (Issue 2), July 2021
*Correspondence should be addressed to Abiodun O. Owoade: aoowoade@lautech.edu.ng
Received 21st May 2021; Revised 13th July 2021; Accepted 14th July 2021
© 2021 Owoade et al. Licensee Pan African Journal of Life Sciences an official publication of Faculty of Basic Medical Sci-
ences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribu-
tion, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Publication of Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences,
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso
www.pajols.org
Online ISSN:2672-5924
DOI: 10.36108/pajols/1202.50.0220
247
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Plants are enriched with several phytochemical
compounds such as tannins, coumarins, quinones,
anthraquinone, amine, triterpenoids, lignans, flavonoids
and many other secondary metabolites, which are a great
source of reactive oxygen species scavengers [1,2]. They
also contain antioxidant compounds and have been
reported to have wound healing, anticancer, anti-
mutagenic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive
properties in many studies [1,3]. Consumption of a rich
diet in natural antioxidants has been shown to decrease
cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk of cancer,
ageing-related disease among others [4].
Researchers globally in the last decade are working
towards the employment of natural phytochemicals
present in herbs, leafy vegetables, beans, berry, cherries
and crops in the management of diseases [5]. Many
secondary plant metabolites with limited research studies
are being subjected to extensive investigation to
determine their suitability as a pharmacological agent [1].
Andrographis paniculata also called the king of bitters is
a traditional herbaceous plant of the family Acanthaceae.
It is widely cultivated across Europe, Asia, Africa, and
used to manage various ailments [6,7]. Several studies
have demonstrated the anticancer, anti-inflammatory,
hypotensive property, antiangiogenic, antihyperglycemic
and antimalarial properties of A. paniculata extract [8-
10].
Many bioactive compounds such as andrographolide, 14-
deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide, kaempferol,
quercetin, 14-deoxy andrographolide and many others
have been isolated from A. paniculata [11]. The role of
andrographolide (major bioactive compound of A.
paniculata) was highlighted in a study to be (i)
abatement of acute brain injury in Wistar rats [12], (ii)
amelioration of permanent middle cerebral artery
occlusion (pMCAO ), (iii) reduced neurological deficits
in mice and (iv) good antiviral potency [13,14].
Therefore, this study aims to determine the
phytochemical composition and antioxidant efficacy of
A. paniculata methanolic extract in the quest to
strengthen scientific knowledge.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
2.1 Reagents
Ferric chloride, dinitro salicylic acid reagent, butanol, 2,2
-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ethanol, Folin-
Ciocalteu reagent, starch, thiobarbituric acid, sodium
carbonate, sodium chloride, sodium nitroprusside,
naphthyl ethylenediamine dichloride, α-amylase, glacial
acetic acid and potassium hexacyanoferrate, and trichlo-
roacetic acid were obtained from Sigma–Aldrich Chemi-
cal Co. Ltd. (England).
2.2 Plant Materials and Extract Preparation
A. paniculata leaves were obtained from a local far m at
Ibadan, Oyo State. The identification and authentication
of the plant were done at the Department of Pure and Ap-
plied Biology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technolo-
gy, Ogbomoso by Prof A.J. Ogunkunle and a specimen
was deposited in the herbarium with voucher number
LH0538. The leaves were air-dried at room temperature
and grounded into a powder. One hundred gram (100g)
of the powdered A. paniculata leaves were soaked in
500ml of methanol and shaken for 72 hours. Afterwards,
it was filtered and the supernatant was concentrated and
evaporated to dryness at 50oC with a rotary evaporator
under reduced pressure.
2.3 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Radical
Scavenging Activity
The assay was performed as previously described by
Schelesier et al., [15]. In the DPPH assay, the radical
solution is prepared by dissolving 2.4mg DPPH in
100mls of ethanol. Antioxidants reduce the free radical
2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, which has an absorption
maximum at 517nm. 1.95ml DPPH was measured as
blank, for the photometric assay, 1.95ml DPPH solution
and 50μl antioxidant solution (plant extract or standard
gallic acid) were mixed. The reaction was measured after
30 minutes until ΔA=0.003min-1. The anti-oxidative ac-
tivity was calculated using the following equation.
% Inhibition activity = 100
Where A= Absorbance
2.4 Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity Assay
(ABTS)
1ml of freshly prepared ABTS solution and various con-
centrations of extract ranging from 20-100µL were
mixed for 45 seconds and measured immediately after 1
minute at 734nm. The extract antioxidant activity was
determined using the following equations;
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
248
% Inhibition activity= ((A(ABTS+)-A(Extracts)) / (A
(ABTS) X 100
Where A= Absorbance
2.5 Ferric Reducing Antioxidant property (FRAP)
Assay
The Fe3+ reducing power of the extract was determined
by the method of Oyaizu [16]. Various concentrations of
extract at 0.75 mL was mixed with 0.75 mL of potassium
hexacyanoferrate [K3Fe(CN)6] (1%, w/v) and 0.75 mL
of phosphate buffer (0.2 M, pH 6.6). The mixture was
incubated for 20 min at 50oC in a water bath. The 10%
trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution 0.75 mL was then
added to stop the reaction, this was centrifuged for 10
min at 3000 r/min. The supernatant (1.5 mL) was mixed
with 0.1 mL of ferric chloride (FeC13) solution (0.1%, w/
v) and 1.5 mL of distilled water for 10 min. The absorb-
ance at 700 nm was measured as the reducing power, the
higher the absorbance the greater is the reducing power.
2.6 Nitric Oxide Scavenging Activity
This was carried out using the method described by Gar-
rat [17]. 2ml of 10mM sodium nitroprusside was dis-
solved in 0.5ml phosphate buffer of PH 7.4. The dis-
solved mixture was mixed with 0.5ml of A. paniculata
extract at ranging concentrations. The mixture was incu-
bated at room temperature for two and a half hours.
0.5ml of incubated sample plus 0.5ml of Griess reagent
were then re-incubated for thirty minutes and the absorb-
ance was measured at 546nm. Percentage inhibition was
calculated as;
Inhibition of NO radical = [Ao - A1/ Ao X 100]
Where A0 is the absorbance before reaction and A1 is the
absorbance after reaction has taken place with Griess rea-
gent.
2.7 Lipid Peroxidation Inhibition Assay
This is a modified thiobarbituric acid reactive substance
(TBARS) assay (18). The lipid source is egg yolk ho-
mogenate and Fenton Reagent (FeSO4/ H2O2) was the
source of free radicals. The reaction mixture containing
0.5ml egg yolk homogenate (10% in distilled water V/V),
0.05ml FeSO4 (0.07M), and 0.1ml of the extract was in-
cubated for 30min. The absorbance was read at 532nm
and the percentage induction of lipid peroxidation is
100% in the control which is compared to the reduction
in the plant extract samples.
Induction of lipid peroxidation (%) = 100 – [(A0 –A1)/
A0 x 100]
Where Ao is the absorbance of the control and A1 is the
absorbance of the sample
2.8 Inhibition of Alpha-amylase
The determination of α-amylase inhibition was carried
out using a modified dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method
previously described by Bernfeld [19]. 1mL of methanol-
ic extracts of A. paniculata were pre-incubated with α-
amylase 1 U/mL for 30 min. The starch solution 1 mL
(1% w/v) was added to the mixture and incubated for 10
min at 37°C. The 1 mL DNS reagent (12.0 g of sodium
potassium tartrate tetrahydrate in 8 mL of 2 M NaOH and
96 mM 3, 5- dinitrosalicylic acid solution) was then add-
ed to the reaction to stop it. This was followed by heating
in a boiling water bath for 5 min. A control was prepared
by using buffer (20 mM Sodium phosphate buffer with
6.7 mM Sodium chloride, pH 6.9 at 20oC) instead of
plant extracts. The absorbance was read at 540 nm.
% inhibition = [Ao – A1]/ Ao x 100
Where Ao is the absorbance of the control and A1 is the
absorbance of the sample
2.9 Phytochemical Composition Screening
Qualitative analysis of S. siamea methanolic extract was
carried out by testing for the presence of flavonoids, ter-
penoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, phytosterol, alka-
loids, phlobotannins and cardiac glycoside. Each assay
was carried out following the method of Sofowora et al.,
[20] for flavonoids, Ejikeme et al., [21] for terpenoids
and tannins, Santhi et al., [22] for phenol, Harbone et al.,
[23] for saponins, phytosterol and alkaloids, Ajiboye et
al., [24], for phlobotaninns and cardiac glycoside
2.10 Determination of total phenolic compound in
methanolic extract of A. paniculata
Total phenolics of A. paniculata were determined by the
Folin-Ciocalteu method (Folin Ciocalteu et al.,) [25]. For
the preparation of the calibration curve, 1ml Folin-
Ciocalteu reagent (diluted ten-fold) and 4ml (75g/L) so-
dium carbonate were mixed with 1ml of aliquots of 0.24,
0.075, 0.0105 and 0.3mg/ml ethanol gallic acid solutions.
The absorbance was read at 765nm after 30 minutes and
the calibration curve was drawn. 1ml Folin-Calteus rea-
gent and 4ml (75g/L) sodium carbonate was mixed with
1ml of A . paniculata and after 30 minutes the absorbance
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
249
was read for the determination of plant phenolic. The
total content of phenolic compounds in A . paniculata
(Gallic acid equivalent) was calculated using the follow-
ing formula
C = c. v/m
Where C is the total content of phenolic compound (mg/g
plant extract, in GAE)
c is the concentration of Gallic acid established from the
calibration curve in mg/ml
v is the volume of extract in ml
m is the weight of pure plant extract.
2.11 Gas Chromatography Analysis
The gas chromatography (GC) study was done using Shi-
madzu GC-17A gas chromatography fitted with a Flame
Ionization Detector (FID) and an autosampler. GC col-
umn used was, fused silica capillary column OV-1, DB-1
(30 m x 0.53 mm, 0.5 μm film thickness), at 75 °C and
programmed to 75 °C at 240 °C/min and 5 min hold. In-
jector and detector were at 240 and 250 °C respectively.
About 1 μL of each sample was injected, and the relative
quantity of the chemical compounds present in the extract
of A. paniculata was expressed as a percentage based on
the peak area produced in the chromatogram. The identi-
fication of A. paniculata constituents was carried out by
comparison of GC retention times of A . paniculata with
GC retention times of desired standards compounds.
2.12 Proximate Analysis of Andrographis paniculate
leaves
The roximate composition of A . paniculata leaf powder
samples was determined using standard procedures.
Moisture content was determined as described by Udo
and Ogunwele [26] with slight modification. Ash was
determined by incineration (550 °C) of known weights of
samples in a muffle furnace [27]. The crude lipid content
was determined using the Soxhlet method described by
Udo and Ogunwele [26]. The Crude fiber was determined
after digesting a known weight of fat-free sample with
sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide as described by Udo
and Ogunwele [26]. The crude protein percentage was
evaluated using the Miro-Kjeldahl method described by
AOAC [28], while nitrogen-free extract (NFE) was deter-
mined by addition of all percent of moisture, fat, crude
protein, ash and crude fiber subtracted from 100% [29]
2.13 Statistical Analysis
Results are expressed as means ± SEM. Statistical anal-
yses were performed using one-way analysis of variance
followed by Tukey’s test. All analyses were done using
Graph Pad Prism Software Version 5.00 and p < 0.05 was
considered statistically significant.
3.0 RESULTS
3.1 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DDPH) Radical
Scavenging Activity
The A . paniculata demonstrated a concentration and time
-dependent scavenging activity by quenching DPPH radi-
cals and was compared with gallic acid, as a positive con-
trol. The IC50 values (defined as the concentration of
test compound required to produce 50% inhibition) ob-
tained are 326.37 μg/dL and 16.13 and μg/dL for A . pa-
niculata and gallic acid respectively (Figure 1 and 2)
3.2 ABTS Radical Cation Scavenging Ability
The scavenging abilities of A. paniculata leave against
ABTS radicals were evaluated and compared with gallic
acid. The scavenging capabilities were found to increase
with the increasing concentration of A . paniculata and
gallic acid. Comparatively, the scavenging abilities of A.
paniculata were 25% of that of standard gallic acid at
the same concentration and experimental conditions.
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
Figure 1. Effect of Time on Different C oncentr ation of Met h-
anolic extract of A. paniculata on Inhibition of DPPH Radical
250
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
3.3 Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Property (FRAP)
Assay
The reducing abilities of A . paniculata leaves were
evaluated and compared with standard ascorbic acid. The
reductive capabilities were found to increase with the
increase in the concentration of standard ascorbic acid
and A . paniculata. Comparatively, standard ascorbic acid
has greater reducing power than A. paniculata with the
reducing abilities of A. paniculata about 41% of that of
standard ascorbic acid (Figure 4).
3.4 Nitric Oxide Scavenging Activity
The nitric oxide scavenging ability of A . paniculata ex-
tract and standard ascorbic acid was compared. The A .
paniculata extract and standard ascorbic acid scavenge
nitric oxide radicals in a concentration-dependent manner
with IC50 values (known as the concentration needed to
caused 50% inhibition) for A . paniculata and ascorbic
acids given as 145.99 μg/ml and 167.17μg/ml respective-
ly (Figure 5).
Figure 2. The Effects of Differ ent Concent rations of A. Panicu-
lata and Ga llic on The Inhibition of the DPPH Radical.
Figure 3. The Effects of Differ ent Concent rations of A. p anicula-
ta and Ga llic on the Inhibition of the ABTS Radica l.
Figure 4. Fer ric Red ucing power of A. paniculata and Ascor bic
Acid at Different Concentrations
Figure 5. The eEfects of Differ ent Concent ration s of A. panicu -
lata on the Inhibition of Nitric Oxide Radical F ormation.
251
3.5 Lipid Peroxidation Inhibition Assay (TBARS)
The ability of A. paniculata extract to inhibit the induction
of lipid peroxidation was compared with the control sam-
ple which has 100% lipid peroxidation induction. The in-
hibition of lipid peroxidation induction by A. paniculata
extract was found to be concentration-dependent with
100μg/mL of the extract inhibited lipid peroxidation in-
duction by 31.85% and 500μg/mL of the extract inhibited
lipid peroxidation induction by 74.48% (Figure 6)
3.6 Inhibition of α- Amylase
The methanolic extract of A . paniculata significantly in-
hibited α–amylase activity in this study. The level of inhi-
bition was found to be concentration-dependent and the
maximum percentage inhibition of α–amylase activity of
81.82% was obtained at 250μg/dL of the extract (Figure
7).
3.7 Qualitative Phytochemical Analysis of Powder
Sample of A. paniculata
The result of the qualitative analysis of the phytochemi-
cals in A. paniculata extract is presented in Table 1. The
study revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tan-
nins, phenol, terpenoids, phlobotanins, cardiac glycosides,
and saponin, in the A . paniculata extract while phytoster-
ols was absent
3.8 Determination of Total Phenolic Compounds and
Proximate Analysis of A. paniculata
The proximate analysis result reveals the percentage com-
position of moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber,
total ash content and nitrogen-free fat content of meth-
anolic extract of A. paniculata to be 21.89, 5.66, 8.74,
0.95, 6.87, 55.89 respectively as shown in Table 2 below.
The phenolic content of A. paniculata extract was also
determined in this study. The total amount of phenolic
compounds present in the methanolic extract of A . panic-
ulata was 29.11mg in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) (Table
2).
3.9 GC Analysis
The compounds likely present in the methanolic extract of
A. paniculata leaves are presented in Table 3. The elution
order in a GC column was used for the characterization
and identification of the compounds. The elution time and
the amount of these compounds were also presented.
Owoade et al Pan African Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
Figure 6. The Effects of Differ ent Concent ration s of A. panicu lata
on the Induction of Lipid Peroxidation
Figure 7. Th e Effects of Differ ent Concent rations of A. p anicula-
ta on Inhibition of α-amylase Activity.
Table 1: Phytochemical Composition of the Metha nolic
Leaves Extract of A . paniculata
Constituents Test Observation Infer-
ence
Terpenoid Chloroform
test
Brown ring for-
mation
+
Saponins Foam test Foam for some
minute on the ad-
dition of olive oil
+
Phenols Ferric
Chloride Test
Bluish Black +
Phlobotanins Hydrochloric
acid
Deposit of red
precipitate
+
Phytosterols Chloroform
test
No brown ring
formation
-
Alkaloids Mayer`s test Cream colour pre-
cipitate
+
Cardiac
glycosides
Acetic acid
test
Violet-green ring +
Flavonoids Alkaline
reagent
Yellow coloura-
tion formation
+
Tannins Ferric chlo-
ride test
Brownish green
colouration
+
252
From the result obtained quercetin (9.88%) is the most
abundant compound possibly present in the methanolic
extract of A. paniculata. Also presented is the GC chro-
matograms (Fig 8), which show the detected peaks and
their retention time in the column that correspond to the
compounds present in the extract.
4. DISCUSSION
The imbalance between free radical generating and
scavenging systems ultimately leads to oxidative stress
which can be regarded as a multifactorial disease causa-
tive agent, with several known diseases including but
not limited to cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenera-
tive tauopathies, mitochondrial dysfunction, diabetes
mellitus among others [30]. Plants are vastly known to
contain several bodily essential phytochemicals and me-
tabolites, having a great impact in not only ameliorating
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
Table 2: The ph enolic cont ent and proximate analysis of A.
paniculata
Sample A. paniculata
Moisture 21.89
Crude protein % (%n x 6.25) 5.66
Crude fat % 8.74
Crude fibre % 0.95
Total ash % 6.78
NFE % 55.89
Total phenolic content 29. 11
Figure 8. GC Ch romatogr am of A . paniculata Leaves Methanolic Ext ract.
Name of com-
pounds Retention time (min)
Relative
abundance
(%)
p-Hydroxybenzoate 2.63 8.31
Caffeic acid 3.53 1.53
Methylcaffeate 4.20 1.83
Onysilin 4.68 2.93
Vanillic acid 5.13 1.53
Methyl vanillate 6.05 5.83
Cinnamic acid 6.58 7.70
Apigenin 7.30 5.93
Beta-sitosterol 7.76 6.46
Quercetin 8.41 9.88
Deoxygrapholide 9.13 7.20
Andrographolide 9.73 4.87
Kaempferol 10.13 5.83
Kalmegin 10.85 8.49
Ferulic acid 11.38 3.82
Adipic acid 12.05 6.71
Cosmosilin 12.05 8.84
Tetracosylferul 13.25 1.45
Skullcapflavone 13.66 0.84
Table 3. Biologically Act ive Chem ical Compou nds Pr esent in
A.paniculata Leaves Extra ct
253
the derailing impact of oxidative stress but as well func-
tioning as a defence system in protecting cells. Studies
have, however explored several plants potentials, yield-
ing a considerable amount of positive results [31,32].
In evaluating the antioxidant status of medicinal plants,
several biochemical cascades have come to prominence.
These assays include DPPH, ABTS, lipid peroxidation,
nitric oxide assay and ferric reducing power of such
plants. This study, results revealed that A.paniculata pos-
sess strong antioxidant scavenging potentials on DPPH
and ABTS radicals in a concentration and time-
dependent manner. This result indicated that A . panicula-
ta leaves extract has hydrogen donating a bility, this
agrees with previously reported study [33]. A similar
antioxidant study (FRAP assay) evaluated in this study,
A. paniculata showed great activity in reducing Fe3+ to
Fe2+ in a highly reproducible and concentration-
dependent manner. This thus indicates that A . paniculata
has an embedded potential to transform free radicals into
stable and unharmful products. This result is similar to a
previous study carried out by Adedoyin et al., [34].
Under physiological condition, Nitric oxide radicals are
generated and naturally reacts with oxygen to produce
stable products. In this study, A. paniculata methanolic
extract compared with the standard ascorbic acid demon-
strated strong antioxidant potential against nitrite ion for-
mation in a concentration-dependent manner. The nitric
oxide radical scavenging activities of A. paniculata has
been reported previously [35]. Lipid peroxidation/
malondialdehyde formation is generally believed to be a
strong signal in free radicals impounded cells. This, how-
ever, triggers a cycle of toxicological cascades which if
not put to check could disrupt biomembranes and wreak
havoc [36]. Employing TBARS assay, maximum induc-
tion of MDA (100%) was observed in the control while
A. paniculata methanolic extra ct in a concentration-
dependent manner successfully prevented MDA for-
mation. Similarly, Bajpai et al., [35] reported the protec-
tive effects of A. paniculata against Fe3+-induced lipid
peroxidation.
As earlier pointed, oxidative stress triggers the onset of
diabetes mellitus. However, inhibitors of α-amylase; a
hydrolyzing enzyme, have been revealed as a hypoglyce-
mic drug for the control of excessive blood glucose lev-
els in humans [36]. The Cell-free antidiabetic assay car-
ried out in this study showed that A. paniculata is effec-
tive in inhibiting α-amylase activity which might be at-
tributed to the presence of phenolic compounds in the
plant extract [38].
Plants have pharmacological activities attributed to the
secondary metabolites which are responsible for essential
bioactivities. Screening of the leaves of methanolic ex-
tract of A. paniculata revealed terpenoid, saponins, phe-
nols, Phlobatanins, alkaloids, cardiac glycoside and fla-
vonoid. These phytoconstituents have been reported to be
associated with several nutritional bioactivities. Phyto-
chemical composition screening of A. paniculata leaves
shows the presence of saponins, which are triterpenoid
glycosides responsible for the bitter taste and as well
known for their hemolytic effect on red blood cells [39].
They possess cholesterol-reducing abilities and exhibit
structure-dependent bioactivities [40]. The saponins con-
tent of plants also helps in fighting pathogens and boost-
ing the immune system.
The presence of terpenoids indicates that steroidal com-
pounds could be present, which are of great use/ im-
portance in synthesizing sex hormones synthetic com-
pounds [41]. Phlobatanins as well are researched for their
analgesics and wound healing capabilities [41]. Flavo-
noids and phenols are responsible alongside carotene for
the colouration of vegetables and herbs. They possess
health-promoting benefits not limited to their antioxi-
dant, anti-inflammatory and vaso-protective abilities.
They act as diuretics and could possess anti-plasmodial
properties. Thus, potentially making A. paniculata leaves
a great medicinal herb to large varieties of diseases [42].
Alkaloids is present in several medicinal plants, and it
constitutes an appreciable percentage in many available
drugs, hence highly essential in diseases management.
Moreso, cardiac glycosides possess an effective and di-
rect action on the cardiac system, supporting the strength
of the heart and the rate of contraction when failing [43].
The total phenolic content in methanolic leaves extract of
A. paniculata determined in this study was found to be
high. Therefore, it was considered that the high antioxi-
dant potential of leaves extract of A . paniculata could be
attributable to its high amount of phenolic compounds
content. The nature of phenolic compounds present in A.
paniculata extract was carried out using gas chromatog-
raphy. GC analysis revealed hydroxybenzoate, caffeic
acid, Methylcaffeate, onysillins, vannilic acid, methyl
vanillate, cinnamic acid, apigenin, beta-sitosterol, quer-
Owoade et al Pan Afr ican Journal of Life Sciences (2021):5(2): 246-256
254
cetin, andrographolide, deoxy andrographolide,
kaempferol, kalmegin, ferulic acid, adipic acid, cos-
mosilins, tertacosylferyl and skulcapflavon in the ex-
tract. Many of these compounds have been identified in
A. paniculata in the previous study [11].
Proximate analysis of A . paniculata leaves revealed that
the plant has a substantial amount of moisture, crude
protein, crude fat, crude fibre, total ash content, and ni-
trogen-free extract. From the result, nitrogen-free fat has
the highest value, while crude fibre has the smallest val-
ue. The ash content of A. paniculata leaves shows that
the plant is rich in the mineral element, while the mois-
ture content of the leaves would prevent microbial
growth and increase the storage span [44]. The crude
fibre in A . paniculata has the potential to reduce serum
cholesterol levels, preventing coronary heart diseases,
lowering constipation, and reduce the risk of hyperten-
sion [45]. Thus, the result obtained in this study offers a
scientific basis that methanolic leaves extract from A .
paniculata contains certain nutritional values that could
be significant in managing malnutrition and multifacto-
rial disorders.
The results obtained in this study indicate that A . panic-
ulata extract, through its actions has good antioxidant
properties. The bioactive compounds present in A. pa-
niculata methanolic extract (majorly andrographolide,
14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and 14-
deoxy andrographolide) have been mentioned in previ-
ous studies to prevent the toxicity cascade usually trig-
gered by radicals [46-48]. The anticancer, hepatoprotec-
tive activity, hypotensive property, antiangiogenic, anti-
hyperglycemic and antimalarial potentials of A . panicu-
lata have been reported in pr evious studies which can
be attributed to the diverse group of phytochemicals
such as diterpenoids, diterpene glycosides, lactones, fla-
vonoids and flavonoids glycosides present in A. panicu-
lata leaves [49,50]. In the present study, A . paniculata
was shown to have an antioxidant effect. This could be
attributed to the presence of phenols, terpenoids, cardiac
glycoside, tannins, flavonoids and saponins found in the
plant extract in this study. Also, flavonoids and terpe-
noids, in particular, have been speculated to be responsi-
ble for great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory poten-
tials of A. paniculata in the previous study [51], and
these constituents may account for good pharmacologi-
cal properties of A. paniculata extract obtained in this
study.
This study concludes that the phytochemical composi-
tion and proximate analysis of compounds naturally pre-
sent in A. paniculata leaves possess fat and proteins,
with an appreciable quantity of phytochemicals like al-
kaloids, phenols, and flavonoids that provide essential
nutritional supplements in food and enhances body-
building. In addition, A . paniculata methanolic extract
demonstrated strong antioxidant and antidiabetic proper-
ties which could be attributed to the various phytochem-
icals present in the extract.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Funding
This research was self-funded by the authors
Authors’ Contribution
AOO conceived a nd designed the study, collected
data, performed data analysis and contributed to manu-
script writing. AOA contributed to data collected, data
analysis tools and manuscript writing. AA contributed to
study design and data analysis. OSO, AWO contributed
to data analysis tools and analysis of data. All authors
approved the final version of the manuscript
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