Exploring the antioxidant efficacy of boldine: A natural compound with broad-spectrum activity

Free radicals are unshared electrons that readily reacts with macromolecules and generate the reactive oxygen species, triggering lipid peroxidation reaction. This reaction lead to inflammation and oxidative stress, which can initiate and promote the progression of degenerative diseases, including cancer and diabetes mellitus. Antioxidants are free radical scavenging molecules that help to limit such diseases. Plant derived alkaloids boldine to possess their strong scavenging ability of free radicals. The boldine’s ability to scavenge free radicals and donate electrons was tested using various assays, including Superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, and reducing power. The findings revealed that boldine effectively inhibited free radicals, as evidenced by its IC₅₀ value, compared to the standard ascorbic acid. This study found that boldine has substantial free radical scavenging action, as indicated by its IC₅₀ values when compared to the conventional antioxidant, ascorbic acid. Boldine and ascorbic acid had the following IC₅₀ values: 33.00 µg/mL and 36.00 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, 19.83 µg/mL and 23.08 µg/mL in the ABTS●+ assay, 14.00 µg/mL and 16.80 µg/mL in the hydroxyl radical assay, 29.00 µg/mL and 33.00 µg/mL in the superoxide anion assay, 27.00 µg/mL and 33.00 µg/mL in the hydrogen peroxide assay, and 11.96 µg/mL and 16.80 µg/mL in the nitric oxide assay, respectively. In addition, the reducing power of (21.00 µg/mL) ascorbic acid and boldine (19.00 µg/mL). The above findings suggest that Boldine has great antioxidant potential and effective free radical scavenging activity, suggesting that it can be applied as a natural beneficial antioxidant.