Phytochemical Profiling and Evaluation of Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Antimicrobial Activities of Blighia sapida Leaves
A. J. Adepoju
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
N. B. Omodara *
Department of Chemistry, Adeyemi Federal University of Education Ondo, Nigeria.
O.O. Aboyeji
Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Microbiology Unit, Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin, Nigeria.
I. T. Olawoore
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.
R. O. Agboola
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
O. A. Oyeyemi
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
O. J. Oyeleke
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
F. H. Olabode
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
O. C. Akinosun
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.
E. T. Ayodele
Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Blighia sapida is a medicinal plant with reported therapeutic properties in several plant parts. The present study evaluated the phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibitory potential and antifungal properties of leaf extracts obtained with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol. Ethanol produced the highest extract yield (2.17%), followed by ethyl acetate (2.07%) and n-hexane (1.69%). Preliminary screening detected saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, steroids, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins and phenols in the ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts, while terpenoids and anthraquinones were absent. Quantitative analysis showed that the ethyl acetate extract contained higher phenols (37.70±0.03 GAE/mg/g), flavonoids (12.96±0.02 QE/mg/g), tannins (10.75±0.01 TAE/mg/g), alkaloids (13.92±0.02%) and saponins (9.87±0.02%) than the ethanol extract. Antioxidant assays indicated concentration-dependent radical scavenging and reducing activities in both extracts, with variations between DPPH and FRAP responses. The ethanol extract showed stronger α-amylase inhibitory activity, with percentage inhibition ranging from 54.04±0.78% to 76.40±0.57% and an IC50 of 1.57 mg/mL, compared with 26.09±0.67% to 70.19±1.00% and an IC50 of 2.19 mg/mL for the ethyl acetate extract. Both extracts also demonstrated antifungal activity against selected fungal isolates, although no inhibition was observed against Aspergillus fumigatus, and ethanol showed no activity against Murcortic spp. These findings suggest that B. sapida leaves contain phytochemicals that may contribute to antioxidant, α-amylase inhibitory and antifungal activities.
Keywords: Blighia sapida, phytochemical profiling, antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibition, antimicrobial activity, medicinal plants