Influence of the Drying and Extraction Methods on the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Cecropia peltata L. leaves.

Cecropia peltata L., commonly known as “yagruma,” is used in Cuba for traditional medicinal applications. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of drying and extraction methods on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of yagruma leaves. Two drying methods, traditional drying and advanced multifunctional solar dryers, were employed. Aqueous extracts (LOYT001 and LOYC002) were prepared by infusion from each dry sample, while hydroalcoholic extracts (LOYT001_H and LOYC002_H) were obtained through maceration. The crude extracts were analyzed for chlorogenic acid (CA) and isoorientin content using UHPLC, and their antioxidant activity was assessed via DPPH and FRAP assays. Additionally, the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were evaluated for the aqueous extracts. LOYC002 and LOYC002_H exhibited higher concentrations of CA and isoorientin compared to their counterparts (LOYT001 and LOYT001_H). Isoorientin levels were highest in hydroalcoholic extracts, while aqueous extracts contained more CA. Among the extracts, LOYC002 (49.41 ± 0.99 mg GAE/g and 3.07 ± 0.06 mg QE/g) demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity, with the highest DPPH scavenging ability (IC50 = 39.72 ± 3.9 μg.mL-1) and Fe3+ reducing power. These findings suggest that aqueous infusions of yagruma leaves dried using the CONA technology may serve as a natural antioxidant.