Insight into the antioxidant activities of ten Fabaceae plant species that are medicinally used by the Aucan Tribal Peoples from the Republic of Suriname (South America)

Dennis R.A. Mans 1, *, Nicholaas M. Pinas 1, Meryll Djotaroeno 1, Priscilla Friperson 1, Jennifer Pawirodihardjo 1 and Maureen Y. Lichtveld 2

1 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Paramaribo, Suriname.
2 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
 
Research Article
GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2022, 20(03), 082–096.
Article DOI: 10.30574/gscbps.2022.20.3.0349
Publication history: 
Received on 02 August 2022; revised on 03 September 2022; accepted on 05 September 2022
 
Abstract: 
Fabaceae are associated with a high antioxidant activity (AA) and a high total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), and selenium content (SeC). In this study, the aqueous extracts from ten Fabaceae species that are medicinally used by the Aucan Tribal Peoples from Suriname (South America), were evaluated for AA using a DPPH and a FRAP assay, and for TPC, TFC, and SeC using Folin-Ciocalteu’s, an AlCl3 colorimetric, and an azure B-based method. Associations between pairs of these variables were determined by Pearson correlation coefficient. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test was used to evaluate the data for statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). The I. stipularis (bark), C. guyanensis (bark), A. jupunba (twigs), and M. urens (fruit) extracts had the highest DPPH IC50 values (36 - 70 μg/mL) and FRAP values (346 - 573 µM FeE/100 μg) and the highest TPC (25 - 41 GAEq/100 μg), TFC (21 - 39 REq/100 μg), and SeC (4 - 17 μg/g). The values for the T. indica (leaf), P. macroloba (bark), M. pigra (whole plant), S. quinquangulata (leaf), A. sensitiva (whole plant), and L. leucocephala (leaf) extracts were > 10-fold lower. AA, TPC, TFC, and SeC correlated well with each other (correlation coefficient ≥ 0.83, p ≤ 0.0030). Thus, AA, TPC, TFC, and SeC may represent important determinants of the health benefits of the former four samples but not of the others. Future studies should focus on the precise contribution of AA, TPC, TFC, and SeC to the therapeutic value of medicinal Fabaceae.
 
Keywords: 
Fabaceae; Traditional medicine; Aucan Tribal Peoples; Suriname; Antioxidant activity; Total phenolic content
 
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