article · ACS Omega
Melilotus albus leaf extracts demonstrate significant antioxidant capabilities and low toxicity in laboratory evaluations. Chemical profiling of the plant extracts identified twelve phenolic constituents, predominantly chlorogenic acid, catechin or epicatechin, and quercetin-3-O-glucuronic acid. The aqueous extract exhibited a higher total polyphenol concentration and stronger radical scavenging activity across several assays than the methanolic extract, although the methanolic preparation showed superior iron reducing power. In animal trials, administering the aqueous extract to rats increased body weight without altering general behaviour, indicating absence of acute or subacute behavioural toxicity. Computational analyses suggested that the primary compounds can passively permeate through the bloodstream and provide positive effects across diverse bodily organs. These findings demonstrate that extracts from this wild plant possess notable biological activity, although extensive isolation and detailed characterisation of individual compounds remain necessary before practical development can occur.
Identifying safe, plant-derived antioxidants helps in discovering natural alternatives to synthetic additives and medicines. By verifying the antioxidant activity and initial safety profile of Melilotus albus, this research provides baseline evidence on a wild plant species that has previously been underutilised, offering potential raw material sources for health and personal care formulations.
The findings suggest potential long-term applications in cosmetics, dietary supplements, and phytotherapy. Possible commercial users include nutraceutical manufacturers and skincare formulators seeking natural antioxidant ingredients. However, the technology is at an early research stage, having been evaluated only in laboratory assays, computational models, and preliminary animal feeding studies. Significant work on compound isolation, purification, formulation, and clinical safety testing is needed before market translation is possible.
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Morocco is known for its high plant biodiversity, but many plants are poorly valorized. For this reason, this study aims to valorize the methanolic and aqueous extracts of Melitotus albus leaves by studying their antioxidant activity and toxicity. The extracts’ antioxidant activity is assessed using the FRAP, DPPH, CAT, and ABTS methods. The chemical composition was determined using LC–MS analysis and evaluated using in silico studies. The results revealed that the total polyphenol content of the aqueous extract, 259.26 ± 7.79 (mg GAE/g), is higher than that of the methanolic extract, 131.41 ± 12.64 (mg GAE/g). The antioxidant activity by the methods of DPPH, ABTS, and phosphor molybdenum of aqueous extracts (0.087 ± 0.015, 0.014 ± 0.001 and 6.157 ± 1.050 mg eq vit C/g, respectively) is greater than that of methanolic extracts (0.107 ± 0.02, 0.167 ± 0.03, and 0.453 ± 0.014 mg eq vit C/g, respectively). The reducing power of iron (FRAP) shows that the methanolic extract has a greater reducing power than that of the aqueous extract with a low IC50 (0.011 ± 0.003 and 0.199 ± 0.016 mg/mL, respectively). The study of acute and subacute toxicity shows that the administration of the aqueous extract of M. albus at different doses increases the body weight of rats without modifying their general behavior. The M. albus extract had a 99.99% total phenolic content, as determined by LC–MS, consisting of 12 different components. The primary constituents of the extract are chlorogenic acid (43.68%), catechin/epicatechin (24.82%), quercetin-3-O-glucuronic acid (9.91%), naringin (7.64%), and p-hydroxybenzoic/salicylic acid (2.95%). The in-silico study showed that these compounds can passively permeate through the blood and have a beneficial effect on various organs of the body. Based on these results, M. albus can be used as a medicinal plant in phytotherapy, cosmetics, or as a dietary supplement. The bioactive compounds of these plants will require a lot of further effort in terms of isolation and characterization.
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DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c08314
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