Phytochemical Profiling and Antioxidant Capacity of Traditional Plants, Northern Thailand

Traditional plants have played a significant role in human culture and medicine throughout history. These plants have the capability to synthesize a diverse range of chemical compounds that serve essential biological functions. This study's objective was to analyze the phytochemical composition of five traditional plants, namely Emilia sonchifolia, Chloranthus erectus, Caesalpinia mimosoides, Acacia concinna, and Tacca chantrieri, native to northern Thailand, using LC-QTOF/MS analysis and assess their potential bioactivity through various assays including DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power, total phenolic compounds, and total flavonoid content. The findings revealed the presence of natural bioactive compounds in each plant extract, which exhibited pharmacological activity. Notably, Caesalpinia mimosoides displayed the highest antioxidant capacity across all plant extracts (IC50 in DPPH with the methanol extract was 0.03 and 898.18 mg AAE/100 g with the ethanol extract), along with elevated levels of total phenolic and flavonoid content, which showed the highest TFC at 46.79 mu gRE/g in the methanol extract. In conclusion, traditional plants possess notable biological constituents and antioxidant properties, suggesting their potential for bioactive applications. Based on these findings, these indigenous plants can serve as a valuable resource in traditional medicine, offering the possibility of uncovering new products with similar capabilities and additional therapeutic attributes worthy of future exploration.

Automated summary

Traditional plants from northern Thailand were analyzed for their phytochemical composition and bioactivity. The study found that these plants contain natural bioactive compounds with pharmacological activities, particularly Caesalpinia mimosoides which exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity and chemical content. These traditional plants have the potential to be valuable resources in traditional medicine and for the discovery of new products with similar functions.