New Utilization of Fraxinus mandshurica Leaves: As a Safe and Promising Natural Antioxidant

In\nthis paper, an in-depth study on Fraxinus mandshurica (FM) was conducted, focusing on the chemical constituents, in vitro\nand in vivo antioxidant activities of flavonoids, acute oral toxicity\ntesting, network pharmacology, and molecular docking in the leaves\nof FM. The in vitro antioxidant results revealed that the total flavonoid\nextract (TFE), kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin exhibited similar\nantioxidant activities, with TFE demonstrating significantly better\nscavenging ability against hydroxyl radical compared to the other\nflavonoids. Moreover, in vivo antioxidant findings indicated that\nTFE led to a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase and superoxide\ndismutase activities along with a decrease in malondialdehyde levels\nin the liver tissues of mice in an ethanol-induced oxidative stress\nmodel, outperforming quercetin. The acute oral toxicity test established\n5000 mg/kg of bw as the LD<sub>50</sub> for TFE in rats. Through network\npharmacological analysis, it was observed that all seven flavonoids\nin FM exhibited spontaneous binding to their respective key targets,\nreinforcing their potential antioxidant properties. Consequently,\nbased on the experimental outcomes, TFE appears to be a safe and promising\nantioxidant source, indicating its potential as a new natural antioxidant\nresource.