Phytochemical Profile and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Antidiabetic, and Antibacterial Activities of Nauclea orientalis Stem Bark Extracts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/tis.2026.13244Keywords:
Nauclea orientalis, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Anti-inflammatory, AntioxidantAbstract
Nauclea orientalis, locally known as Gao Vang in Vietnam, is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and has been traditionally used in ethnomedicine to treat fever, inflammation, and skin disorders. Although phytochemical investigations of Nauclea species and the Rubiaceae family have been reported, studies systematically linking polyphenol-enriched fractions with multiple bioactivities remain limited. This study aimed to determine the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activities of different extracts of N. orientalis, including ethanol extract, hexane, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane fractions. Among the tested extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. Consistently, this fraction showed strong antioxidant activity, with IC50 values ranging from 31.63 ± 0.40 to 54.61 ± 0.72 µg/mL across representative radical scavenging assays, comparable to trolox. In addition, notable anti-inflammatory activity was observed through inhibition of nitric oxide scavenging capacity, with IC50 values of 84.96 ± 1.48 µg/mL, along with superior protective effects in red blood cell membrane stabilization and protein denaturation models. This fraction also demonstrated significant antidiabetic potential through effective inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, as well as pronounced antibacterial activity. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis qualitatively identified gallic acid, quercetin, and rutin as representative constituents. Overall, these findings highlight the ethyl acetate fraction of N. orientalis as a source with multifunctional bioactivities, providing new pharmacological insight beyond previously reported phytochemical studies of this genus.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Nauclea orientalis stem bark is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids
- The ethyl acetate fraction shows strong in vitro antioxidant activity
- Notable anti-inflammatory effects are observed via NO and protein assays
- The extract inhibits α-amylase and α-glucosidase, indicating antidiabetic potential
- HPLC identifies gallic acid, quercetin, and rutin as key compounds
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
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