PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT, IN VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND TOXICITY POTENTIAL OF ARQUITA ANCASHIANA EXTRACT

Abstract

Inflammation is a crucial biological response involved in various acute and chronic disorders. Medicinal plants are traditionally used for the management of inflammatory conditions due to the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents. The present study was designed to evaluate the phytochemical profile, antioxidant activity, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, and toxicity profile of the plant extract of Arquita ancashiana. The plant material was extracted using soxhlet and maceration extraction methods and subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the DPPH radical scavenging assay, while anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using protein denaturation and proteinase inhibitory assays. Toxicity evaluation was performed according to standard OECD guideline 402. The extract showed the presence of important phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, and saponins. The extract exhibited concentration-dependent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the selected in vitro models. The toxicity study indicated that the extract was safe at the tested dose level. The findings suggest that the selected plant extract possesses promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, which may be attributed to its phytochemical constituents. Further in vivo and mechanistic studies are required to confirm its therapeutic potential.