Evaluation of the potential of leaves and pods of Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P.Queiroz as an antioxidant food supplement in the animal diet

Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz, commonly known as "juc", is a plant of the Fabaceae family, widely distributed in northeastern Brazil. In folk medicine, it is used as an antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory. These effects are mainly attributed to its high content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Despite its known use in humans, the use of this plant as an antioxidant supplement for animals remains little explored. This study aimed to compare the levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in extracts of leaves and pods of L. ferrea, associating them with the potential for scavenging free radicals, as well as quantifying antinutritional factors. The levels of phenols and flavonoids were quantified by spectrophotometric and the scavenging potential was determined through DPPH radical assay. L. ferrea extracts showed antioxidant activity comparable to vitamin E, with leaf extracts at 50 µg/ml and pod extracts at 10 µg/ml, due to their high phenolic and flavonoid content. The recommended safe intake for animals is up to 115 g of leaf extract and 150 g of pod extract per day. These results suggest the potential of juca extracts as an antioxidant supplement in animal feed, which may contribute to improving animal health and the quality of derived products.