Effects of Methanol Extract on Bioactive Property and in Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Palma Christi (Anthocleista nobilis G. Don.) Root

Background: Plants have diverse phytochemicals with different solubility levels and medicinal efficacy. This study aimed to determine the presence of phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant activity of methanol root extract of Anthocleista nobilis. Objectives: Determining the bioactive principles and free radical scavenging properties of A. nobilis root. Methods: The preliminary phytochemical investigations were performed using standard analytical procedures. The in vitro antioxidant properties were assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) scavenging activity. Results: The phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of several compounds: saponins, reducing sugar, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, and mucilages. The concentrations of these compounds were different. A considerable quantity of phytochemicals was found in the methanol extract. The impact of the extract on DPPH, NO, FRAP, TAC, H_2O_2 radicals were dependently and ascendingly concentrated. Solvent extract demonstrated better antioxidant activity, with DPPH and NO showing maximum antioxidant capability in conjunction with IC_50 values of 5.45 μg/mL. Conclusion: The study results prove that A. nobilis is a possible source of natural antioxidants, justifying its use in indigenous medicine.