Phytochemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activities of Melaleuca leucadendra, Convolvulus arvensis, and Wedelia calenlulacea Leaves Methanolic Extracts

Introduction: Phytochemicals are bioactive chemical compounds naturally produced by plants. These natural compounds, have antioxidant properties, cytotoxic and anticancer activities, can be promising for prevention and treatment of some tumors. Aim: The present study was conducted to explore both the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of M. leucadendra, C. arvensis, and W. calenlulacea leaves methanolic extracts. Methods: The phytochemical constituents from the leaves methanolic extracts of these three plants were analyzed by HPLC, and GC-MS. The antioxidant capacity of these extracts was determined by modern in vitro assays. Results: The phytochemical analysis by HPLC, and GC-MS revealed good similarities of the presence of constituents of the methanolic extracts of these plants. However, HPLC analysis showed the absence of some constituents in the extract of W. calenlulacea as they appeared in the other two plants. Methanol extract of M. leucadendra by GC-MS analysis revealed the highest antioxidant and total phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin content. The three plants leaves extracts contain terpenoids as the most abundant phytochemicals that exert antioxidants. Our results appear to indicate the strongest antioxidant activity of M. leucadendra extract compared to C. arvensis and W. calenlulacea and this indicates a strong capacity to scavenge free radicals. Conclusion: Among the three, M. leucadendra exhibited the highest levels of total phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin content, correlating with its superior antioxidant activity across various in vitro assays. These findings suggest that M. leucadendra may serve as a promising natural source of antioxidants for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical applications.