Nutritional Properties and Preventive Potential of <i>Leptadenia hastata</i> (Pers) Decne (Apocynaceae) Against Metabolic Diseases

Oxidative stress is implicated in various age-related pathologies, including cardiovascular, ocular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Dietary intake of natural antioxidants can bolster the body's defenses against oxidative damage. This study investigated the nutritional and antioxidant potential of <i>Leptadenia hastata</i> leaves, a food and medicinal plant from Burkina Faso. Standard analytical methods were used to study the physicochemical, nutritional and, antioxidant potential of the leaves. Analysis revealed that <i>L. hastata</i> leaves are rich in nutrients. per 100 g, 71.18 ± 1.83 g of dry matter, 6.89 ± 0.065 g of total ash, 1.67 ± 0.02 g of protein, 11.85 ± 0.33 g of sugar and 1.90 ± 0.07 g of lipid, 60.81 ± 2.31 mg of vitamin C. The water content was 82.59 ± 0.45 g per 100 g of dry leaves. The leaves also showed interesting levels of essential amino acids, including lysine (9.17%), leucine (8.51%), valine (5.61%), phenylalanine (5.29%) and isoleucine (4.44%). In addition, <i>L. hastata</i> leaves showed interesting lycopene (2.70 ± 0.08 mg lycopene/100 mg DM) and β-carotene (2.99 ± 0.09 mg β-carotene/100 mg DM) contents. Total phenol content varied from 13.95 ± 0.61 to 36.21 ± 1.88 mg EAG/100 mg while total flavonoid content varied from 0.42 ± 0.11 to 1.95 ± 0.09 mg EQ/100 mg fraction. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest concentration of these compounds. Furthermore, the leaves demonstrated strong antioxidant activity in DPPH and FRAP assays, correlating with their phenolic content. These findings suggest that <i>Leptadenia hastata</i> is a valuable source of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and natural antioxidants. Its potential as a dietary supplement for combating oxidative stress-related diseases warrants further exploration.