Phytochemical Profiling and In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Hypoglycemic, and Antiulcer Activities of Aerial Parts of Rumex hastatus D. Don

Abstract

The present study investigated the phytochemical profiling, antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, and antiulcer activities of acetone, methanol, and petroleum ether extracts of aerial parts of Rumex hastatus. The antioxidant activity was examined through two techniques: the DPPH assay and the reducing power assay (RPA). The phytochemical constituents were studied by qualitative analysis (preliminary, GC-MS, HPLC) and quantitative analysis (spectrophotometry). The extracts were tested for hypoglycemic (anti-α-amylase) and antiulcer (anti-urease) activities through enzyme inhibition assays. To determine antimicrobial activity, a disk diffusion assay and a broth microdilution method were used. All the extracts were discovered to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, carbohydrates, and proteins. Saponins were only present in the methanol extract. HPLC analysis identified catechin, quercetin, gallic acid, and ascorbic acid in R. hastatus extracts. The findings revealed that the methanol extract exhibited the highest total flavonoid content (TFC) and total tannin content (TTC), and confirmed significant antioxidant activity in both DPPH and RPA assays. In addition, the methanol extract showed the greatest inhibition of both the enzymes α-amylase and urease as compared to the other extracts. All extracts showed potent antimicrobial activity against various tested microbes using both the disk diffusion method and the resazurin broth microdilution method.

Keywords: DPPH; GC–MS; biological activity; phytochemistry; α‐amylase.