Ogunmoye AO, Olubomehin OO, Atewolara-Odule OC, Ibikunle AA, Sanyaolu NO, Yussuf ST, Onajobi IB and Rowaiye G.

• access_time12 July, 2025

  subjectCategory: Medical Laboratory Sciences

• Essential oils are aromatic, volatile, and lipophilic compounds extracted from various parts of plants, such as flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, bark, and fruits. They are highly valued for their flavor, therapeutic, and aromatic properties, and are widely used in food, medicine, and cosmetic industries. In this study, essential oils were extracted from the leaves of Terminalia catappa and Alternanthera pungens using hydrodistillation with an all-glass Clevenger-type apparatus. The oils were then assessed for antioxidant activity using the 2,2diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, with ascorbic acid as the reference standard. The extracted oils appeared as cloudy light yellow to cloudy white liquids with a strong aroma. Yield percentages were 0.25% for T. catappa and 0.40% for A. pungens. The inhibition percentages ranged from 84.67% at 25 mg/mL to 54.22% at 100 mg/mL for T. catappa, and from 73.87% at 100 mg/mL to 43.90% at 50 mg/mL for A. pungens. The antioxidant evaluation revealed moderate to high radical scavenging activity compared to the standard. Overall, the results highlight the potential of these essential oils as natural antioxidants suitable for applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products.
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