Phytochemical Analysis of Rhazya stricta Collected from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as Antioxidant and against Eimeria perforans Activity

Background: Saudi arabian plants have a rich biodiversity and are an important source of medicinal plants. The environmental conditions of Saudi Arabia have forced plants to develop adaptive mechanisms. This results in production of the numbers of secondary metabolites. Rhazya stricta contains glycosides, alkaloids, tannins and triterpenes, which have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Methods: GC-MS and FT-IR analyses were used in this study to detect the phytochemical composition of the extract of R. stricta. The antioxidant activity of R. stricta extract was assessed in vitro using ABTS assays and the IC50 values were determined. The in-vitro antiparasitic activity was evaluated using five distinct concentrations of R. stricta extract. The extract’s inhibition of sporulated oocysts was evaluated after 72 hours. Result: The GC-MS analysis identified approximately 20 primary biologically active compounds. The FT-IR analysis of the R. stricta extract revealed the presence of 10 distinct compounds. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant properties, with inhibition rates varying from 92.41% to 22.76% across concentrations of 500 to 15.625 μg/mL. The IC50 value was determined to be 45.3658 μg/mL. The antiparasitic effects were evaluated in vitro, revealing that oocysts exhibited the highest level of inhibition at concentrations of 50 mg/mL and 25 mg/mL.