Comparative Analysis of Phytochemical Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Leaf Extracts from Centella asiatica (L.) Urban. and Hydrocotyle umbellata L.
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Centella asiatica is a medicinal plant with therapeutic importance, because it can be consumed for neuroprotective effects, anti-hyperglycemia, antioxidant activities, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, consumers mostly confuse C. asiatica with Hydrocotyle umbellata because of their similarity in morphological characters. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity using DPPH assay of leaf extracts from C. asiatica and H. umbellata, as well as to evaluate the efficiency of two solvents, which were ethanol and methanol in extracting phytochemical compounds from the leaves of both species. The results revealed that C. asiatica leaf extracts contained a higher TPC than H. umbellata leaf extracts. The extracts with ethanol yielded a greater TPC than methanol. The ethanolic extract of C. asiatica leaves exhibited the highest TPC, at 930.50 mg GAE/g extract, whereas the methanolic extract of C. asiatica leaves showed a total flavonoid content of 1,060.13 mg QE/g extract, which exceeded that of the ethanolic extract. However, the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of H. umbellata leaves yielded comparable TFC. The comparison of solvent efficiency revealed that methanol was more suitable than ethanol for the extraction of flavonoid compounds. Considering antioxidant capacity using DPPH assay, C. asiatica leaves displayed higher antioxidant activity than H. umbellata leaves, while methanolic extraction provided greater extraction efficiency of antioxidants than ethanolic extraction. The methanolic extract of C. asiatica leaves demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity among all groups, with an IC50 value of 15.74 µg/mL. These findings highlight the importance of identification and selection the correct plant species, as well as choosing an appropriate extraction solvent, since these factors may influence the yield of phytochemical compounds and their beneficial biological activities, thereby maximizing the efficacy delivered to consumers.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
G. Pizzino, N. Irrera, M. Cucinotta, G. Pallio, F. Mannino, V. Arcoraci, F. Squadrito, D. Altavilla, and A. Bitto, “Oxidative stress: Harms and benefits for human health,” Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2017, no. 1, p. 8416763, Jan. 2017, doi: 10.1155/2017/8416763.
O. P.-C. Ugwu, M. N. Ugwu, F. C. Ogenyi, E. U. Alum, V. H. U. Eze, M. Basajja, J. N. Ugwu, M. B. Okon, C. N. Ugwu, C. N. Anyanwu, J. Obiezu, C. Ezeonwumelu, D. T. Swase, B. Samanya, S. I. Egba, D. E. Uti, and H. Onohuean, “Synergistic phytochemicals in multi-target drug discovery for complex diseases: A narrative review,” Phytomedicine Plus, vol. 6, no. 3, p. 100995, May 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.phyplu.2026.100995.
ระวิวรรณ เจริญทรัพย์, ธิดารัตน์ ดวงยอด, ธรากร มณีรัตน์, ปราวรี ภูนีรับ, สิรินันท์ สุวรรณาภรณ์, กวิตา เฟื่องฟู, ชาลินี จันต๊ะ, ชนม์นิภา สามารถ, และสุชิรา แสงจันทร์, จัดทำข้อเสนอเชิงนโยบาย การสร้างเสถียรภาพและความเข้มแข็งทางการค้า สินค้าสมุนไพร, นนทบุรี: สำนักงานนโยบายและยุทธศาสตร์การค้า, 2568.
คณะอนุกรรมการจัดทำตำราอ้างอิงยาสมุนไพรไทย, "ตำราอ้างอิงสมุนไพรไทย: บัวบก (BUABOK)," วารสารการแพทย์แผนไทยและการแพทย์ทางเลือก, ปีที่ 9, ฉบับที่ 1, หน้า 57-61, ม.ค.-ส.ค. 2554.
S. A. Hamdy, H. M. E. Hefnawy, S. M. Azzam, and E. A. Aboutabl, “Botanical and genetic characterization of Hydrocotyle umbellata L. cultivated in Egypt,” Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 46–53, Apr. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.bfopcu.2018.03.006.
L. Khwanchum, A. Intharuksa, S. Yanaso, and K. Thongkhao, “Differentiation of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. from Hydrocotyle umbellata L. using the trnH-psbA region, species-specific bands and anisocytic stomata as markers for quality control of raw materials and their products,” Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, vol. 37, p. 100504, Jul. 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.jarmap.2023.100504.
B. Noppradit, P. Suklim, S. Nanarong, C. Leeratiwong, S. Laphookhieo, and P. Puttarak, “Exploring the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and cell proliferative potential of Hydrocotyle umbellata L. Leaf extracts: A comparative study with Centella asiatica (L.) Urb,” Phytomedicine Plus, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 100969, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.phyplu.2026. 100969
P. Panomai, S. Thapphasaraphong, and N. Nualkaew, “A Comparative Study of Two Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz. Phenotypes Based on Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Effects, and the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Leaf and Pod Extracts,” Plants, vol. 13, no. 15, p. 2110, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.3390/plants13152110.
J. Chen, J. Yang, L. Ma, J. Li, N. Shahzad, and C. K. Kim, “Structure-antioxidant activity relationship of methoxy, phenolic hydroxyl, and carboxylic acid groups of phenolic acids,” Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 2611, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-59451-z.
I. E. Orhan, “Centella asiatica (L.) Urban: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine with Neuroprotective Potential,” Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2012, pp. 1–8, Jan. 2012, doi: 10.1155/2012/946259.
L. S. Singh and W. S. Singh, “Centella asiatica and its bioactive compounds: a comprehensive approach to managing hyperglycemia and associated disorders,” Discover Plants., vol. 1, no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s44372-024-00070-7.
J. Lim, K. Kim, D. Y. Kwon, J. K. Kim, R. Sathasivam, and S. U. Park, “Effects of Different Solvents on the Extraction of Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds, and Antioxidant Activities, in Scutellaria baicalensis Hairy Roots,” Horticulturae, vol. 10, no. 2, p. 160, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.3390/horticulturae10020160.
O. P. Arya, I. D. Bhatt, and K. Mohanty, “Effect of different extraction solvents on bioactive phenolics and antioxidant potential of Illicium griffithii fruit,” Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, vol. 40, p. 100547, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jarmap.2024.100547.
E. A. Mohammed, I. G. Abdalla, M. A. Alfawaz, M. A. Mohammed, S. A. Al Maiman, M. A. Osman, A. E. A. Yagoub, and A. B. Hassan, “Effects of extraction solvents on the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity in the aerial part of root vegetables,” Agriculture, vol. 12, no. 11, p. 1820, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.3390/agriculture12111820.
Z. Xiang, L. Liu, Z. Xu, Q. Kong, S. Feng, T. Chen, L. Zhou, H. Yang, Y. Xiao, and C. Ding, “Solvent Effects on the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Associated with Camellia polyodonta Flower Extracts,” ACS Omega, vol. 9, no. 25, pp. 27192–27203, Jun. 2024, doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01321.
R. E. Mutha, A. U. Tatiya, and S. J. Surana, “Flavonoids as natural phenolic compounds and their role in therapeutics: an overview,” Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 25, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1186/s43094-020-00161-8.
P. Mohapatra, A. Ray, S. Jena, S. Nayak, and S. Mohanty, “Influence of extraction methods and solvent system on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Centella asiatica L. leaves,” Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, vol. 33, p. 101971, Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.bcab.2021.101971.
A. K. Ibadullayeva, M. Kasela, K. K. Kozhanova, G. M. Kadyrbayeva, J. Widelski, K. Wojtanowski, A. Józefczyk, K. Susniak, P. Okinczyc, M. I. Tleubayeva, A. A. Karaubayeva, M. A. Zhandabayeva, A. Z. Mukhamedsadykova, and A. Malm, "Chemical profile and biological properties of methanolic and ethanolic extracts from the aerial parts of Inula britannica L. growing in Central Asia," Molecules, vol. 29, no. 23, p. 5749, 2024, doi: 10.3390/molecules29235749.
A. Mehmood, S. Javid, M. F. Khan, K. S. Ahmad, and A. Mustafa, “In vitro total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of selected medicinal plants using different solvent systems,” BMC Chemistry, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 64, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1186/s13065-022-00858-2.
M. Platzer, S. Kiese, T. Herfellner, U. Schweiggert-Weisz, and P. Eisner, “How does the phenol structure influence the results of the Folin-Ciocalteu assay?,” Antioxidants, vol. 10, no. 5, p. 811, May 2021, doi: 10.3390/antiox10050811.
