Comprehensive Exploration of Ferulic Acid from Corn Leaves: Extraction, Structural Characterisation, HPLC Quantification, and Anti-inflammatory Evaluation through In Silico Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, and In Vitro Studies

Abstract

Ferulic acid, a phenolic compound with notable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has drawn significant interest for its therapeutic potential. Maize leaves, an abundant agricultural byproduct, are a sustainable source of ferulic acid, though efficient extraction and characterisation methods remain underdeveloped. This study presents an optimised protocol for isolating and characterising ferulic acid from maize leaves while evaluating its anti-inflammatory potential. The extraction process utilised aqueous methanol treatment to remove secondary metabolites, followed by alkali hydrolysis for ferulic acid isolation. The compound was purified via column chromatography, with temperature optimisation enhancing yield. Structural characterization was conducted using TLC, FT-IR,1H, and13C NMR. Quantitative analysis was achieved using a validated HPLC method. In silico docking studies demonstrated strong binding interactions between ferulic acid and p38 MAPK, a key inflammation-related protein, with docking scores comparable to those of bosutinib, a known anti-inflammatory agent. Additionally, in vitro, bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation assays revealed a dose-dependent inhibition of BSA denaturation, with significant effects observed at 100 µM. This study establishes an efficient method for extracting and characterising ferulic acid from maize leaves and highlights its promising anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting its potential for therapeutic applications.