In vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of Anadenanthera colubrina from northern Peru

Edert Abel Samame-Caramutti; Luis Salcedo-Valdez; Silvia Suárez-Cunza

doi:10.17843/rpmesp.2026.431.15207

Authors

Edert Abel Samame-Caramutti Instituto de Investigación de Bioquímica y Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8750-3369
Luis Salcedo-Valdez Instituto de Investigación de Bioquímica y Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5597-3024
Silvia Suárez-Cunza Instituto de Investigación de Bioquímica y Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7848-0102

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2026.431.15207

Keywords:

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Antioxidants, Flavonoids, In vitro assays, Polyphenols

Abstract

Objectives. To evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the hydroethanolic extract of the bark of Anadenanthera colubrina from northern Peru, as well as its total polyphenol (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents. Materials and methods. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using chemical assays for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH●) radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), as well as by measuring lipid peroxidation (formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS) and H₂O₂-induced hemolysis. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined through heat-induced ovalbumin denaturation and hypotonicity-induced hemolysis assays. Results. The extract showed high antioxidant activity in both the DPPH● radical scavenging assay (747.6 mg Trolox equivalents/gram of dry extract) and the FRAP assay (435.9 mg FeSO4 equivalents/gram of dry extract). The extract (50 to 1000 μg/mL) inhibited lipid peroxidation, H₂O₂-induced hemolysis, and ovalbumin denaturation. No activity was observed in the hypotonicity-induced hemolysis assay. TPC and TFC were 642.7 mg gallic acid equivalents/gram and 416.2 mg catechin equivalents/gram of dry extract, respectively. Conclusions. These activities were reported for the first time for A. colubrina from northern Peru, suggesting that the hydroethanolic extract of A. colubrina bark possesses significant preliminary in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and that the high polyphenol and flavonoid contents may be responsible, at least partially, for hese activities.

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