Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Antioxidant and α-Amylase Inhibitory Potential of Taxus contorta

The medicinal potential of Taxus contorta extracts was evaluated through phytochemical screening, quantitative assays, TLC/GC-MS analysis, and α-amylase inhibition, confirming diverse bioactive compounds with antidiabetic potential. Phenolic levels were 181.62±0.03 mg GAE/g in methanol, 149.11±0.033 mg GAE/g in ethyl acetate, 36.72±0.03 mg GAE/g in hexane, and 149.11±0.033 mg GAE/g in water. The amount of tannins in methanol extracts was 22.09±0.003 and ethyl acetate 27.88±0.005 mg GAE/g. The amounts in hexane 19.35±0.005 and water extracts were 16.49±0.004 mg GAE/g. In the same way, the methanol extract had 11.47±0.016 mg QE/g of flavonoids and the water extract had 6.45±0.004 mg QE/g. The hexane and ethyl acetate extracts had 62.04±0.026 and 47.56±0.005 mg QE/g, respectively. The antioxidant activity showed IC₅₀ values of 111.9 µg/mL for methanol, 112.3 µg/mL for aqueous, 110.19 µg/mL for ethyl acetate, and 106.7 µg/mL for hexane extracts. In the α-amylase inhibition assay, methanol extract exhibited the highest antidiabetic activity (IC₅₀: 89.39 µg/mL), followed by aqueous (93.57 µg/mL), hexane (97.42 µg/mL), and ethyl acetate (97.79 µg/mL) extracts. Further in vivo and compound studies are needed to realize its pharmacological potential.