Insights into the metabolism of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis leaves across different geographical conditions by investigating the metabolite profile using chromatographic eco-metabolomics approach

Plant metabolites possess significant biological activities, and their biosynthesis is often influenced by geographical factors. Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, a member of the Oleaceae family, holds immense mythological and medicinal significance in South Asia. This study explored how altitude affects the metabolic composition and antioxidant activities of N. arbor-tristis leaves using DPPH and ABTS assays, alongside an HPTLC-based eco-metabolomics approach. Our findings highlight a strong geographical influence, with the highest total phenolic content (TPC) observed in the methanol extract from Lucknow (65 ± 1.45 mg GAE/g) and the ethanol extract from Belagavi (69 ± 1.92 mg GAE/g). The methanol extract from Lucknow also exhibited superior free radical scavenging activity, showing 51.39 ± 1.59% and 88.48 ± 1.82% inhibition in the DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. Similarly, the ethanol extract from Belagavi demonstrated high antioxidant potential, with 50.59 ± 1.72% and 85.81 ± 1.73% inhibition in the respective assays. HPTLC metabolic fingerprinting of five organic extracts further revealed notable qualitative differences and greater metabolite diversity between the Lucknow and Belagavi samples.