Anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial and hemolytic activity of Tridax procumbens

Background

Tridax procumbens, a common weed of the family Asteraceae known vernacularly in Tamil as Tha-Thachedi or Vettukaayapoondu, occupies a well-documented position in traditional medicine systems across tropical regions. Its established uses as an anticoagulant, antifungal agent, and insect repellent are complemented by folk applications in wound haemostasis and hair loss prevention. Pharmacological literature has further attributed to this species a range of immunomodulatory, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, with the plant's bioactivity widely attributed to its content of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. Despite this breadth of reported activity, a systematic comparative evaluation spanning antioxidant capacity, antidiabetic potential via ??-amylase inhibition, antimicrobial spectrum, and haemolytic safety ??? across both leaf and flower fractions and across aqueous versus methanolic extraction systems ??? remained an area warranting rigorous investigation.

Experimental Approach

This study employs aqueous and methanolic extracts of both the leaf and flower of T. procumbens, prepared by maceration and lyophilisation, and evaluates them across five independent assays: total crude protein estimation (Lowry's method), total free phenol quantification (modified Folin-Ciocalteau method), hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity, ??-amylase inhibition at varying pH conditions as a model for antidiabetic activity (Bernfield method with DNSA reagent), antibacterial activity against four clinically and environmentally relevant bacterial strains (agar well diffusion), and haemolytic activity against sheep erythrocytes as an indicator of cytotoxic safety.

Differentiated Bioactivity Profile

A principal finding of the study is the divergence in bioactivity observed between the aqueous and methanolic fractions, with solvent system emerging as a more determinative variable than plant part in several of the assays conducted. The relationship between free phenol content and antioxidant capacity is examined across all four extract types, and the ??-amylase inhibition data reveal a notable pH-dependency in inhibitory efficacy that warrants careful consideration for any proposed antidiabetic application. The antimicrobial data further demonstrate differential susceptibility across the four test organisms, with one species showing markedly greater sensitivity to the extracts than others ??? a finding discussed with implications for the plant's traditional use and ecological role. The haemolytic assay results yield a clear distinction between the two extraction solvents with direct relevance to the safety profiling of extracts intended for nutraceutical or medicinal incorporation.

Therapeutic Relevance & Outlook

The authors conclude with a substantiated recommendation regarding the suitability of T. procumbens extracts for integration into medicines and nutraceutical formulations, grounded in the comparative safety and activity data generated across the study. The specific extract fraction identified as most promising for each therapeutic application ??? antidiabetic, antimicrobial, or antioxidant ??? is elaborated within the full publication and provides a basis for targeted future investigation into active compound isolation and bioavailability.

Keywords

Tridax procumbens  ??  Antioxidant activity  ??  Antidiabetic activity  ??  ??-Amylase inhibition  ??  Antimicrobial activity  ??  Haemolytic activity  ??  Free radical scavenging  ??  Phenolic compounds  ??  Nutraceuticals  ??  Ethnopharmacology