Identification of bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory potential in the methanolic fruit extract of Areca catechu L. (Palmaceae)

Abstract

The present study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of methanolic fruit extract of Areca catechu L. (Arecanut) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and identification of bioactive components by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The Arecanut extract showed maximum scavenging potential against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical with half maximal scavenging concentration value of 0.264 ± 0.073 μg/mL compared to BHA with 0.553 ± 0.082 μg/mL. The anti-inflammatory effect was investigated based on interleukin 6 (IL-6) production in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The methanol extract of Arecanut showed a significantly higher inhibitory effect on IL-6 production, and it was further analyzed for the characterization of active compounds by LC-MS. LC-MS revealed the presence of 10 active phytoconstituents, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and glycoside. From the results, it is evident that methanol extract of Arecanut has an anti-inflammatory property and contains various phytochemicals and is recommended as a fruit of pharmaceutical importance.