Abstract
Introduction: Salacia pallescens, a member of the Celastraceae family, has been traditionally used for its anti-inflammatory effects, but limited scientific evidence supports this claim. The high rate at which natural antioxidants have drawn attention to medicinal plants as safe, cost-effective and valuable sources of bioactive compounds.
Aim: The present study focused on the extraction of the essential oils of S. pallescens and its antioxidant potential. using the hydro-distillation method, characterisation of the essential oils
Methods: The plant material was collected, authenticated, and air-dried to remove the moisture content. The air-dried sample was weighed and subject to hydrodistillation using an all-glass Clevenger apparatus. The essential oil was characterized with a Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), and evaluation of the antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), Nitric Oxide (NO), and Reducing Power assays.
Results: A greenish-yellowish oil with a yield of 0.25% was obtained having an aromatic odour. The essential oil components yielded eleven components corresponding to 98.2% of the total oil. The essential oil is dominated by 9-Nonadecene(44.66%), Oleic acid (21.42%), and Propanamide, 2,2-dimethyl-N-(3-methylphenyl) (13.72%). The constituents of the essential oils are majorly non-terpenoids. The antioxidant assays showed that the essential oils inhibited free radicals and the oxidant in a dose-dependent pattern.
Conclusion: The findings from this research validate the medicinal use of Salacia pallescens, promote its pharmaceutical relevance, and support the development of plant-based antioxidants.