Evaluation on Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant, Anti-α-Glucosidase and Anti-Acetylcholinesterase in Different Parts of B. flabellifer L.

Abstract

Borassus flabellifer L. is a highly valuable medicinal plant, with all parts of the tree possessing potential therapeutic properties and diverse applications. This study seeks to comprehensively assess the phytochemical composition and bioactive potential of various parts of B. flabellifer L., including the endosperm, haustorium, leaves, male flowers, mesocarp, ripe pulp, exocarp, and sap. Specifically, this research investigates the phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, tannins, antioxidant activities, and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes across various plant parts. The male flowers had the highest value of phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins in the samples of all the different parts, while ripe pulp showed the highest value of carotenoids in all parts of B. flabellifer L. All sample parts of B. flabellifer L. possessed strong antioxidant capacity, with the male flowers demonstrating the highest DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP radical scavenging activity (IC50 at 1.10mg/mL, IC50 at 0.44mg/mL, 147.09mg of TE/100g sample). The male flowers of B. flabellifer L. also had the most activity for α-glucosidase inhibitory with IC50 at 0.75mg/mL, more than the positive control, acarbose, with IC50 at 3.20mg/mL. The exocarp of B. flabellifer L. showed the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity with IC50 at 157.82mg/mL. Seven phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid) and 3 flavonoids (catechin, rutin, and quercetin) were identified and quantified using HPLC. According to this study, B. flabellifer L. has the potential to be developed into dietary and pharmaceutical treatments for diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.