Bioactivity surveys of some medicinal plants in Trat Agroforestry Research and Training Station, Trat Province

This study investigates the bioactivity properties of 16 ethanolic extracts from medicinal plants, representing 8 families, collected from the Trat Agroforestry Research and Training Station in Trat province. The research specifically examines three bioactivity properties: antioxidant activity, anti-diabetic activity and anti-inflammatory activity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, FRAP, ABTS and nitric oxide scavenging assays. The anti-diabetic activity was determined by inhibiting alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase, while the anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by inhibiting BSA denaturation. The findings indicate that Volkameria inermis exhibited the highest antioxidant potential, as measured by DPPH (IC50 = 0.011 ± 0.005 mg/mL), ABTS (IC50 = 57.173 ± 6.901 mg/mL), FRAP (IC50 = 0.070 ± 0.020 mg/mL) and nitric oxide scavenging (IC50 = 0.127 ± 0.071 mg/mL) and was characterized by a significant phenolic compound content (121.92 ± 0.66 mg GAE/g). Moreover, extracts from the Garcinia family, specifically Garcinia cowa and Garcinia hanburyi, demonstrated notable anti-diabetic properties, inhibiting alpha-glucosidase (IC50 = 1.383 ± 0.131 mg/mL) and alpha-amylase (IC50 = 0.233 ± 0.012 mg/mL), respectively. Notably, Gnetum gnemon was the only plant to exhibit substantial anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 0.034 ± 0.011 mg/mL) through its capacity to protect bovine serum albumin (BSA) from degradation. Consequently, further research is warranted to identify the key substances and mechanisms of action that contribute to the development of effective therapeutic agents and medicinal applications.