Phytochemical Screening and Analysis of Antioxidant Activity from The Botanical Extract of The Plant Martynia Annua

Abstract

Medicinal plants, enriched by nature with potent compounds, hold great promise in developing natural drugs with minimal side effects. This study focuses on Martynia annua, a plant species renowned for its medicinal potential. We aimed to identify and quantify phytochemicals in its leaf extracts and evaluate their in vitro antioxidant activity. Methanol, hexane, and water were used as solvents for extraction. Qualitative analysis revealed a range of pharmacologically active phytochemicals, including alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, proteins, amino acids, phenols, fixed oils, and terpenoids. Methanolic extract exhibited the highest diversity, with eight distinct compounds. Quantitative analysis showed that methanolic extract contained the most phenols (0.5 mg/g) and carbohydrates (12 mg/g), while hexane had the highest flavonoid content (319 mg/g), and aqueous extract displayed the most protein (53.57 mg/g). Antioxidant assays demonstrated the superior performance of methanolic extract, with maximum inhibitory percentages of 92.99% (DPPH), 94.28% (FRAP), 76.11% (ion chelating), and an IC50 value of 52.17 µg/ml, indicating its remarkable antioxidant potential. These findings underscore Martynia annua as a valuable source for phytochemicals with significant antioxidant properties, particularly in the methanolic leaf extract, holding promise for future therapeutic developments."