In this work, phytochemical components, and the antioxidant properties of an aqueous extract obtained from a medicinal plant Hubertia ambavilla, endemic to Reunion Island, were investigated. A total of 37 compounds were detected and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) using a photodiode-array detector (DAD) coupled with electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (ESI/MSn ). From calibration curves, the quantity of secondary metabolites in the aqueous extract was calculated. The mean amounts of phenols, flavonoids, and condensed tannins found were 158.38±1.20 mg GAE/g DE, 60.41±1.65 mg AE/g DE and 23.77±1.36 mg CE/g DE, respectively. The in vitro antioxidant properties of the Hubertia ambavilla plant were measured using three methods: DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power. The results showed that crude aqueous extract of H. ambavilla had effective radical scavenging and reducing power in comparison with standard antioxidant compounds. In conclusion, the crude extract herein presented offers a natural alternative biosource of antioxidants with potential applications in food and health industries.
Keywords: Hubertia ambavilla; UHPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn; antioxidant effect; phenolic compounds.
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