In vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Chasmanthera dependens Hochst. leaf and stem

Abstract

Inflammation and oxidative stress are closely connected and play crucial roles in the development of several diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Chasmanthera dependens Hochst. (Menispermaceae) has been used traditionally in the treatment of inflammation and other health problems. This study evaluated the in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potentials of extracts and fractions of C. dependens . Dried and pulverized leaf and stem samples were extracted via maceration with methanol. Fractionation of the crude extracts with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol was carried out via vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC). Phytochemical screening, membrane stabilization assay, DPPH radical scavenging, total phenolic content (TPC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated. Phytochemical profiling was performed using TLC, FT-IR, and GC–MS. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, and phenols. The methanol extract of C. dependens stem (CS) exhibited the highest membrane stabilizing activity (51.00%) at 100 µg/mL, surpassing the standard drug indomethacin (41.46%). Non-linear regression analysis of the dose–response curve for CS yielded an IC₅₀ of 24.84 µg/mL (95% CI: 22.15–27.53 µg/mL, R 2 = 0.97). For CL, CLEtAc, CLM, and indomethacin, the maximum inhibition at 100 µg/mL did not exceed 50%; therefore, IC₅₀ values could not be reliably determined. The DPPH, TPC, FRAP, and TAC activities were concentration-dependent, with the ethyl acetate fraction showing the highest activity. FT-IR analysis identified functional groups including alcohols, amines, alkanes, aromatic compounds, nitro compounds, and alkyl and aryl halides. GC–MS analysis of the n-hexane fraction yielded 16 compounds, including phytol, squalene, stigmasterol, and β -sitosterol. The study revealed that Chasmanthera dependens Hochst. leaves and stems possess appreciable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be due to the wide range of phytochemicals present in them.