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This study aims to characterize the phytochemical profile of white teff flour ethanolic extract and evaluate its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

February 16, 2026Open Access

White Teff Flour Ethanolic Extract: Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Key Points

This study aims to characterize the phytochemical profile of white teff flour ethanolic extract and evaluate its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Ethanolic extraction of white teff flour using cold repercolation (1 g/mL; 70% ethanol)
Quantification of total polyphenols and flavonoids spectrophotometrically
Identification of phenolics using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS
Assessment of antioxidant activity with DPPH, FRAP, H2O2 scavenging, and NO scavenging assays
Induction of acute inflammation in Wistar rats for in vivo testing of the extract after turpentine administration.
Total polyphenols measured at 0.044 ± 0.002 mg GAE/g d.w. and flavonoids at 11.83 ± 1.10 mg QE/100 g d.w.
Eighteen phenolic compounds identified, with a total content of 398.30 ± 1.48 μg/mL, primarily flavone derivatives.
In vitro antioxidant capacity was significant with DPPH at 286.17 ± 11.52 μg TE/g d.w. and FRAP at 263.17 ± 20.09 μg TE/g d.w.
In vivo, teff extract reduced nitro-oxidative damage markers and inflammatory mediators notably, particularly when used prophylactically.

Abstract

Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a gluten-free cereal increasingly promoted as a functional food, yet the bioactive profile and mechanistic evidence of some varieties remain limited. This study characterized an ethanolic extract of white teff flour and evaluated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential in vitro and in a rat model of acute inflammation. White teff flour was extracted by cold repercolation (1 g/mL; 70% ethanol). Total polyphenols and flavonoids were quantified spectrophotometrically, and phenolics were profiled by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, FRAP, H2O2 scavenging, and NO scavenging assays. In vivo, acute inflammation was induced with intramuscular turpentine in Wistar rats, testing teff extract therapeutically (post-induction) and prophylactically (10-day pretreatment), with diclofenac and Trolox as comparators. Serum oxidative stress biomarkers (TOS, TAC, OSI, AOPP, MDA, NOx, 3-NT, thiols) and inflammatory mediators (NFκB-p65, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1, IL-10) were measured. The extract showed low total polyphenols (0.044 ± 0.002 mg GAE/g d.w.) and higher flavonoids (11.83 ± 1.10 mg QE/100 g d.w.). Eighteen phenolics were identified (total 398.30 ± 1.48 μg/mL), dominated by flavone derivatives (notably apigenin- and luteolin-glycosides), while phenolic acids accounted for ~33.21%. In vitro antioxidant capacity was robust (DPPH 286.17 ± 11.52 μg TE/g d.w.; FRAP 263.17 ± 20.09 μg TE/g d.w.; H2O2 214.12 ± 18.22 mg TE/g d.w.; NO 300.77 ± 28.71 mg QE/g d.w.). In vivo, turpentine provoked marked oxidative stress and inflammatory activation; teff, particularly at the highest concentration and in prophylaxis, reduced nitro-oxidative damage markers (AOPP, MDA, NOx, 3-NT) and lowered NFκB-p65, IL-1β, IL-18, and caspase-1, while IL-10 was not significantly altered. White teff flour ethanolic extract contains a flavone-rich phenolic profile and exerts measurable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in an acute inflammation model, supporting its potential development as a nutraceutical candidate.

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