Strategic Roadmap for Exploring Phytochemical Profiles of Ixora nigricans L. Flowers and Leaves Extract: The X-ray Diffraction Overview Insight
Anik Biswas
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Mohshin Maola
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Md. Monirul Islam
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Sukanta Mondal
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Md. Mazedul Haque Sachchu
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh and Department of Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
Nusrat Tandra
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Nilufar Yasmin Liza
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh and State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou-511458, China.
Md. Shoyeb Akand
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
Md. Ashraful Alam
Institute of Glass and Ceramic Research and Testing (IGCRT), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh.
Sharif Md. Al-Reza
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia-7003, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigates the phytochemical landscape of Ixora Nigricans L., a medicinal plant species, through a comparative analysis of its foliar and floral tissues. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed across a polarity gradient using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol to evaluate the distribution of secondary metabolites, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to evaluate crystallinity and structural properties of the extracts. Results revealed a diverse metabolic profile significantly influenced by both solvent polarity and tissue type. Alkaloids demonstrated a ubiquitous presence across all solvent systems and tissues, suggesting a chemically diverse nitrogenous profile with potential pharmacological breadth. In contrast, steroids were identified exclusively in the ethanolic leaf extracts, indicating their presence as polar glycosides and highlighting a tissue-specific biosynthetic downregulation in reproductive organs. Terpenoids were consistently sequestered in the lipophilic n-hexane fractions of both tissues, confirming their role as non-polar defense agents. Furthermore, tannins exhibited a more consistent distribution across the floral fractions compared to the leaves, suggesting an enrichment of phenolics in reproductive structures for protection against oxidative stress and pathogens. These findings establish I. Nigricans are a rich source of bioactive constituents, particularly alkaloids and tannins. The distinct partitioning of metabolites suggests that while leaves are optimal for steroidal recovery, the flowers offer a specialized phenolic profile, providing a strategic roadmap for bioactivity-guided fractionation and the biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles using these tissues as natural reducing agents. The XRD analysis further revealed predominantly amorphous to semi-crystalline structures, with variations in crystallite size and structural ordering between leaf and flower extracts. These findings highlight I. nigricans as a promising source of bioactive compounds and provide a basis for targeted phytochemical extraction and potential applications in green nanotechnology and drug development.
Keywords: Ixora nigricans L., pharmacological breadth, bioactive constituents, bioactivity, phytochemical screening, solvent polarity, secondary metabolites, medicinal plants