Phytochemical Profiling, LC–ESI–QTOF–MS/MS Characterization, and Antioxidant Potential of Hydroethanolic Leaf Extracts of Pericopsis laxiflora

Abstract

Pericopsis laxiflora (Fabaceae) is an ethnomedicinal plant widely used in African traditional medicine for the management of inflammatory disorders, fever, gastrointestinal disturbances and liver-related diseases. Despite its therapeutic importance, detailed information on the phytochemical composition of its leaves remains limited. This study investigated the phytochemical profile, characterised secondary metabolites using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS), and evaluated the antioxidant potential of hydroethanolic leaf extracts of P. laxiflora collected in Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, anthocyanins, sterols and terpenoids. Quantitative analysis showed high levels of total polyphenols (627.20 ± 50.37 mg GAE/g DW) and condensed tannins (162.65 ± 4.78 mg CE/g DW), together with a moderate flavonoid content (7.20 ± 0.48 mg QE/g DW). Antioxidant activity evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay demonstrated considerable antiradical activity, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.051 ± 0.002 mg/mL, compared with vitamin C (IC₅₀ = 0.015 ± 0.00021 mg/mL). LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis tentatively characterised twelve metabolites belonging to different chemical classes, including flavonoid glycosides (rutin), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin), isoflavonoids (angolensin, genistein, formononetin, afrormosin and pisatin), condensed tannins (procyanidin), alkaloids (N-methylcytisine) and cyanogenic glycosides (lotaustralin). Several compounds are reported here for the first time in P. laxiflora leaves. These findings support the traditional medicinal use of P. laxiflora and suggest that its leaves may constitute a source of bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical relevance. However, further toxicological and pharmacological studies are required to establish their safety and therapeutic potential.