Phytochemical Investigation, Antioxidant, and Anti‐Inflammatory Activities of Lycopodiella cernua Collected in Madagascar: Isolation of a Steroidal Glucoside

Lycopodiella cernua (L.) Pic. Serm. (Lycopodiaceae) is traditionally used in Madagascar for the management of inflammatory and respiratory disorders. In this study, aerial parts collected from the Analamanga region were extracted and fractionated to investigate their phytochemical composition and biological activities. A steroidal glucoside (MR‐1) was isolated from the dichloromethane fraction and identified as stigmast‐5,22‐dien‐3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (stigmasterol glucoside) based on 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses supported by comparison with literature data. The extracts were evaluated for antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities. In the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, methanol and dichloromethane extracts exhibited strong radical‐scavenging activity, producing > 50% inhibition at the lowest tested concentration (50 µg mL − 1 ), indicating IC 50 values below this concentration. In the carrageenan‐induced paw edema model, the extracts showed time‐dependent anti‐inflammatory effects, with the dichloromethane fraction displaying pronounced early‐phase inhibition, while the hydroalcoholic extract exhibited a delayed response. Overall, the findings support the presence of bioactive metabolites in L. cernua and demonstrate antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities of its extracts, warranting further pharmacological and mechanistic investigations.