Alchornea cordifolia leaves as a new source of bioactive molecules: phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant capacity

Context: Antioxidants are substances capable of neutralizing free radicals and protecting brain cells from their harmful effects. Many plants in African herbal medicine contain antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids, and Alchornea cordifolia is among them. Thus, with the aim of performing the chemical screening of an aqueous extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves and evaluating its in vitro antioxidant activity, this work was carried out. Methods: The leaves of Alchornea cordifolia were dried, macerated, and then lyophilized to obtain the total aqueous extract. This extract was used for phytochemical screening, which was carried out according to the methods described by Sofowara, Trease and Evans, and Harborne for the detection of polyphenols, tannins, quinones, alkaloids, and saponins. For the evaluation of antioxidant activity, the DPPH radical scavenging assay and the ferric reducing power assay were used. Data were analyzed using GraphPad software and presented as mean ± standard deviation. The comparison of means and variances was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of sterols, polyterpenes, phenolics, flavonoids, catechin tannins, and alkaloids, and the antioxidant activity of the extract increased according to the dose-response law, exhibiting a high potency compared to that of the reference antioxidant. Furthermore, the IC50 value of the extract was lower than that of the reference antioxidant. Conclusion: The leaves of Alchornea cordifolia, rich in bioactive compounds, have high antioxidant power and could be effectively utilized as bioresources for the prevention and treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress.