Exploring the phytochemicals, antioxidancy and cytotoxicity of Abroma augustum (L.) seed extract

Abstract Abroma augustum is an important medicinal plant that is conventionally used in the pharmaceutical industry to treat different diseases. The key objectives of this research were to assess the phytochemical, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Abroma augustum seeds. Phytochemical screening and quantification were performed via previous methods. The antioxidant action of A. augustum extract was tested via an in vitro method. The zebrafish embryo results were analyzed in a manner similar to that used for the cytotoxicity assay. Phytochemical profiling revealed that the methanol extract of A. augustum seeds contained alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, polyphenols and tannins. In terms of antioxidancy, the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) inhibition rates were 65.30±0.9% and 80.85±1.0% for A. augustum seed extract and tert-butyl-1-hydroxytoluene (BHT), respectively. The IC₅₀value of the seed extract was 105.57±1.19, and the BHT value was 88.89±1.0 µg/ml. In the cytotoxicity test, at 96 hpf, treatment with 100 µg/ml seed extract resulted in yolk sac edema, tail deformation and pericardial edema. A. augustum seeds contain high concentrations of phytochemicals and have high antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. The present findings may be helpful for molecular drug design in the near future.