Unrivalled Insight into Possible Biopharmaceutical Application of Justicia vahlii Roth. (Acanthaceae):...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacognosy
• Medicinal Plant Research
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Justicia vahlii is a wild plant used in traditional medicine for inflammation and ailments.
• Understanding its chemical composition and biological activities is crucial for validating its medicinal use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and toxicity of Justicia vahlii extracts.
• To evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of Justicia vahlii using n-hexane (nHEJv) and chloroform (CEJv).
• Phytochemical profiling using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and GC-MS.
• In vitro assays for antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibition (urease, tyrosinase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase), and toxicity (acute oral, brine shrimp lethality).
• In vivo study evaluating hepatoprotective effects on CCl4-treated animals.

Main Results:

• Both extracts contained significant amounts of phenolic and flavonoid compounds.
• CEJv showed higher antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activity, while nHEJv was more potent against urease, tyrosinase, and α-glucosidase.
• In silico analysis supported the enzyme inhibitory potential of major compounds.
• Extracts demonstrated no acute toxicity.
• Treatments with extracts reversed CCl4-induced depletion of antioxidant enzymes in vivo.

Conclusions:

• Justicia vahlii extracts possess significant antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and hepatoprotective properties.
• The findings support the traditional use of Justicia vahlii and suggest potential for developing new therapeutic agents.
• Further studies are warranted for the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds.