Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo.

Objectives: Plant secondary metabolites include chemical compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids. The use of these ingredients in traditional medicine to prevent or treat diabetes and cancer is becoming more prevalent because of their capacity to function as antioxidant agents. The objective of the research was to estimate the quantities of total phenols and flavonoids, together with the antioxidant capacity of various Dactylorhiza hatagirea extracts.

Methods: Total flavonoid and phenolic contents were determined by aluminum chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu techniques, respectively. Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ABTS approaches were used for assessing the scavenging of free radicals. Employing standard methods, the preliminary phytochemical activity of the extract was assessed, and its reducing power was tested in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate.

Results: A maximum concentration of 58.88 ± 0.32 of gallic acid was identified per gram of methanolic extract as phenolic content. Quercetin, at 85.51 ± 0.40 mg/gram, had the most flavonoid content. The strongest reducing power output measured was 1.968 ± 0.01 g. In comparison, the IC50 values for DPPH and ABTS assays were 162.79 ± 0.24 and 39.75 ± 0.20 µg/ml, respectively. Thus, this plant differs from others in that it has potent antioxidant capabilities.

Conclusion: The methanolic crude extract of D. hatagirea and the estimated contents of phenols and flavonoids exhibited potent antioxidant action, particularly against DPPH and ABTS assays. Due to its relatively high phenolic and flavonoid contents, this plant is an exciting option for treating diseases. Therefore, secondary metabolites can be found and employed as low-resistance, multi-target antioxidant drugs for treating a variety of cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as other chronic diseases that are resistant to existing antibiotics.