Evaluation of phytochemical constituents, total phenolic contents and in vitro antioxidant activities of Mucuna pruriens fractions leaves

Mucuna pruriens is a tropical annual climbing legume plant used in traditional medicine systems to treat diabetes, arthritis, dysentery, hematinics, inflammation, and cardiovascular conditions. The present study investigates the phytochemical constituents, phenolic contents and in vitro, antioxidant potentials of M. pruriens leaf fractions using spectrophotometric methods. Phytochemical screening of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol fractions of M. pruriens was determined using standard methods. The antioxidant activities of the fractions were assessed against total phenolic contents, total antioxidant contents, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assay, and 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity using standard protocols. Phytochemical screening showed that only the ethyl acetate fraction of M. pruriens leaves contain all the phytochemical constituents tested for, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenol. The activities of the fractions against total phenolic contents were high in ethyl acetate fraction (1.958±0.24 mg GAE/g), while chloroform fraction gave the lowest total phenolic contents (1.476±0.19 mg GAE/g). On the contrary, chloroform fraction showed more significant total antioxidant contents (2.078±0.80 mg ASCE/g). The methanol fraction demonstrated higher ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (4.866±1.19 mg ASCE/g). The methanol fraction scavenging activity against DPPH radical exhibited a lower IC50 value of 404.92 (μg/mL) relative to other fractions. It is concluded that ethyl acetate and methanolic fractions of Mucuna pruriens leaves, which contain large amounts of phenolic compounds, exhibited high antioxidant activities. These in vitro assays indicated that Mucuna pruriens leaves fraction is a significant source of natural antioxidants, which might help prevent the progress of various oxidative stresses.