Phytochemical Ingredients and Antioxidant Potential of Halfa Bar (Cymbopogon proximus) Extracts: A Solvent-Based Comparative Approach

The most important experiments in this study involved extracting Halfa Bar(Cymbopogon proximus) using various solvents (methanol, hexane, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and butanol) to compare their efficiency in isolating antioxidant compounds. Quantitative analyses assessed the contents of phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins, revealing that ethyl acetate and butanol extracts had the highest levels of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Antioxidant activities were measured using DPPH, FRAP, and phosphomolybdate assays, showing that ethyl acetate extract had the strongest antioxidant capacity (IC50 = 0.018 mg/mL in DPPH, 2.914 absorbance in FRAP, and 118.75 mg AAE/g in TAC), even surpassing ascorbic acid in some cases. HPLC profiling identified potent compounds like quercetin (4316.5 mg/kg), p-coumaric acid, and rosmarinic acid, supporting the extract's antioxidant potential. The study concluded that solvent polarity significantly impacts phytochemical extraction, with ethyl acetate and butanol being optimal for obtaining high-antioxidant bioactive compounds from C. proximus, reinforcing its therapeutic potential in oxidative stress-related conditions.