Chemical Characterization and Comparative Biological Activities of Spinacia oleracea and Basella rubra Leaf Extracts

This study aimed to compare the in vitro biological activities of aqueous leaf extracts from Spinacia oleracea and Basella rubra. Extraction was performed using the maceration method, yielding 25% and 14%, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed that S. oleracea had higher total phenolic content (6.2 ± 0.4 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid content (3.8 ± 0.3 mg CE/g) compared to B. rubra. Conversely, B. rubra exhibited stronger antioxidant activity with 79.6% DPPH inhibition versus 64.2% in S. oleracea. In the α-amylase inhibition assay, B. rubra again showed higher enzyme inhibition (72.3%) compared to S. oleracea (51.1%), indicating greater antidiabetic potential. Both extracts displayed no antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Hemolysis assays indicated low cytotoxicity: 8.1% for S. oleracea and 5.4% for B. rubra. FTIR analysis identified bioactive functional groups, including phenols, carboxylic acids, glycosides, esters, and alkanes. These findings suggest that both plants possess antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory potential, warranting further in vivo and phytochemical investigations.