Antioxidant Characterization of Aqueous Extract of Terminalia chebula Fruit Pulp Using Complementary Phytochemical and Spectroscopy Approaches

Background and Objectives

Oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases, prompting growing interest in plant-derived natural antioxidants. The present study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the antioxidant potential of the Aqueous Extract ofTerminalia chebula fruit pulp (AETC) using multiple complementary analytical approaches.

Materials and Methods

Antioxidant activity was assessed through Diphenyl Picryl Hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assays, while phytochemical composition was evaluated by total phenolic and total flavonoid content determination. Structural characterization of functional groups was performed using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

Results

AETC exhibited strong dose-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity, achieving 91.45% inhibition at 100 µg/mL, corresponding to 96% of the ascorbic acid standard. The FRAP assay demonstrated substantial reducing power (825.24±21.14 μmol Fe(II)/g), representing approximately 77% of the ascorbic acid control, with excellent assay precision (CV < 3%). High total phenolic (72.12±0.54 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid content (32.13±0.25 mg QE/g) provided mechanistic support for the observed antioxidant activity. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of hydroxyl, carbonyl, aromatic, and polysaccharide-associated functional groups characteristic of polyphenolic compounds.

Conclusion

Collectively, these findings demonstrate thatT. chebula fruit pulp possesses potent, multi-mechanism antioxidant activity, supporting its traditional medicinal use and potential application in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations.