PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION, LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRYPROFILING AND IN VITRO BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF GOMPHRENA CELOSIOIDES MART

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, along with the phytochemical profile, objective physicochemical characterization, and chromatography of the extract of Gomphrena celosioides, in order to validate its traditional medicinal use. Methods: Physicochemical evaluation, phytochemical screening, and quantification of phenolics, flavonoids, and terpenoids were done. The chromatographic profiling was performed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR), and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), protein denaturation, and goat red blood cell assays. Results: The phytochemical screening found flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics, saponins, and terpenoids. Total phenolic, flavonoid, and terpenoid contents were estimated to be 89.79±3.08 mg/g, 62.64±1.12 mg/g, and 47.57±1.73 mg/g, respectively. The presence of characteristic phytoconstituents and functional groups was confirmed by chromatographic and spectral analysis (TLC, HPTLC, and FTIR-ATR). There was a great phytochemical diversity, with 32 bioactive metabolites identified during liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry study, such as quercetin and ellagic acid. The antioxidant activity of the extract was found to be significant, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 60.18±1.89 μg/ mL and 56.26±1.23 μg/mL for DPPH and NO assays, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity was shown with IC50 values of 104.37±1.40 μg/mL for protein denaturation inhibition and 99.64±0.08 μg/mL for membrane stabilization. Conclusion: The results indicate that G. celosioides is a good source of bioactive phytochemical compounds showing considerable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which would warrant its traditional use in medicine and provide potential for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical development.