Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant Potential, and α-Glucosidase Inhibition of Causonis trifolia Leaf Extracts: A Solvent-Based Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Medicinal plants are used in diabetes mellitus due to their proven minimal adverse effects in humans. Causonis trifolia leaves have been used as traditional medicine for various treatments. Objective: The aim of this research was to investigate the phytochemicals, the total flavonoid and phenolic content, and in-vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the extracts of C. trifolia leaves. Method: The leaves of C. trifolia were sequentially extracted with maceration in hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and 50% ethanol. Then, the C. trifolia leaf extracts were assessed for antioxidant activity by the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging and FRAP assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by the Folin- Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated by determination of α-glucosidase inhibitory effect. Results: Preliminary phytochemical analysis of ethanol and 50% ethanol extracts of C. trifolia leaves showed positive results for alkaloids, coumarin, tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids. The 50% ethanol extract had the best antioxidant activities of the three antioxidant assays (p < 0.05). The results revealed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents in 50% ethanol extract than in the other extracts (p < 0.05). Moreover, the 50% ethanol extract exhibited the best potential as α-glucosidase inhibitors of all the extracts and acarbose (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results conclude that the C. trifolia leaves with 50% ethanol as the solvent possessed the potential to extract the highest levels of phytochemical content and have potential antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities for diabetic therapy.