In-vitro Antioxidant Activity of Bio-guided Fraction of Artemisia pallens

The researcher reported that phenolic and flavonoid compounds are the major contributors to antioxidant activity, acting through the inhibition of enzymes responsible for increasing oxidative stress.

The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of the bio-guided fraction of Artemisia pallens by the DPPH method.

The bio-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extract was done using Hexane, Chloroform, Ethyl acetate, and Water. The phytochemical investigation, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and Chromatographic analysis were done. The IC₅₀ value was calculated by the regression method.

The phytochemical analysis of Artemisia pallens reveals the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, terpenoids, and alkaloids in different solvent fractions. Ethyl acetate and water fractions showed significant activity (IC₅₀ = 171.17 and IC₅₀ = 16.76µg/ml, respectively). The water fraction, having a low IC₅₀ value (16.76µg/mL) indicates more antioxidant activity, but the ethyl acetate fraction, having a higher IC₅₀ (171.17µg/mL), was selected as an effective fraction for further analysis due to its moderate polarity and feasible extraction yield, . Though the water fraction showed potent in vitro activity, in contrast, the highly polar constituents of the water fraction may exhibit limited absorption and bioavailability in vivo. lipophilic fractions exhibited superior in vivo antioxidant effects compared to highly polar fractions, despite weaker in vitro performance.

The phytochemical analysis and in-vitro DPPH assay of the ethyl acetate fraction showed promising antioxidant activity, probably due to the higher concentration of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Therefore, the ethyl acetate fraction was considered more suitable for antioxidant activity, as it represents bioactive constituents capable of effective in vivo antioxidant defence rather than radical scavenging. Therefore, these findings support that Artemisia pallens may be useful as an option for the management of stress as an antioxidant agent. Further in-vivo studies are needed to correlate antioxidant potential with possible neuroprotective outcomes.