ABSTRACT
Natural products are of immense interest as sources of drugs and drug candidates Picralima nitida has shown potential as a source of antioxidant compounds. Oxidative stress caused by highly reactive free radicals have been implicated in chronic diseases and it has been shown that antioxidant compounds are effective in mitigating or totally preventing such damages either by neutralizing the free radicals or activating of pro-antioxidant proteins (such as NRF2). This study aims to assess the phytochemical constituents, evaluate antioxidant activities, isolate the compounds and predict the safety and efficacy profile of the isolated compounds. Standard laboratory tests were used to qualitatively evaluate the phytochemical constituents of the plant sample then the total phenol and total flavonoids were quantitatively determined. The ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays were employed for the evaluation of antioxidant potential, Analytical High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used for the compounds identification while computational tools were utilized to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the isolated compouds. The study identified several bioactive compounds, including alkaloids, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, carbohydrates, and flavonoids, which contribute to the plant’s medicinal properties. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were 95.11 mg GAE/g and 12.22 mg QE/g, respectively. The extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with IC₅₀ values of 7.38 μg/mL (ABTS) and 27.40 μg/mL (DPPH), while FRAP was 145.37 mM FeSO₄ E/g. HPLC analysis revealed 18 peaks, identifying 11 distinct compounds with docking scores between -3.619 and -12.603 Kcal/mol. Key bioactive compounds for further research include rutin, naringin, catechin, epicatechin, flavan-3 ol, and sparteine. This study underscores the use of the sample in treatment of different ailments in traditional medicine while providing insights for future drug developments from the extract.
