ANTIOXIDANT AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE POTENTIAL OF TERMINALIA ARJUNA, CURCUMA LONGA, AND PHYLLANTHUS NIRURI: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF HERBAL EXTRACTS

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Terminalia arjuna bark, Curcuma longa rhizome, and Phyllanthus niruri leaves. The plants were extracted using ethanol and methanol, and their total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were assessed. The results revealed that ethanol and methanol extracts exhibited significantly higher levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity compared to other solvents, with Phyllanthus niruri ethanol extract showing the highest phenolic content (48.35 mg/g) and Terminalia arjuna ethanol extract exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity (58.86 mMols/g). The findings suggest that polar solvents are more efficient in extracting bioactive polyphenols, which may contribute to the plants' therapeutic properties. These results support the potential of these plant extracts in developing natural antioxidants and hepatoprotective agents for medicinal applications.