Biodiversity and Healing: Exploring the medicinal potential of wild edible plants abundant in antioxidants

Abstract

Wild edible plants (WEPs) are rich in antioxidants with a history of traditional medicinal use. This study aimed to find the most efficient polyphenol extraction solvent from WEPs, including Lasia spinosa, Eriosema chinense, Nasturtium indicum, Begonia hatacoa, and Embelia floribunda, for pharmaceutical and drug industry applications. Polyphenols, crucial antioxidants, were meticulously analyzed via RP-HPLC. Total phenolic, flavonoid, and flavonol levels were measured with four solvents. 80% aqueous (aq.) ethanol proved the most effective, surpassing solvents of varying polarities. The plants exhibited high total phenolics and flavonols, notably gallic acid (30.78±1.67 µg/mg dry extract) and syringic acid (32.03±1.89 µg/mg dry extract) in 80% Aq. ethanol extract of E. floribunda. Correlation analyses revealed strong connections between parameters, with 80% Aq. ethanol and acetone showing the highest correlation values (r and R2), indicating their exceptional polyphenol extraction and antioxidant potential. The principal component analysis emphasized the pharmaceutical potential of WEPs, particularly E. floribunda's 80% Aq. ethanol extract due to its phenolic and polyphenolic content. In conclusion, 80% of ethanol extracts of these plants outperform synthetic derivatives in antioxidant activity, making them promising for pharmaceutical and drug product development with enhanced natural antioxidant properties.