Phytochemicals screening, nutritional assessment and antioxidant activities of A. viridis L. and A. spinosus L. leaves: A comparative study

Abstract

This study aims to compare the analysis of phytochemicals, nutrition, cytotoxicity, and antioxidant activity of A. viridis and A. spinosus leaves because they are commonly used as wild leafy vegetables worldwide and valuable for traditional medicinal purposes. To achieve these goals, the standard protocol was followed in each experiment. Comparative analysis revealed that the A. spinosus leaf had more phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, amino acids, xanthoproteins, phenols, saponins, steroids, and coumarins, than A. viridis. Aqueous solvents were more effective in identifying the presence of phytochemicals than methanol and ethanol. A. viridis leaves contain higher amounts of carbohydrates (49 ± 2 mg gluc./g), protein (53 ± 3 mg BSA/g), calcium (2.67 ± 0.03 mg/kg), amino acids (7 essential and 5 non-essential), total phenol (21 ± 1 mg GAE/g), and high antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 109.0 ± 0.2 μg/cm³) than A. spinosus. On the other hand, A. spinosus leaves contain higher ash (17.1 ± 0.2 %), total flavonoid (16 ± 1 mg QE/g), and total antioxidant capacity (50 ± 1 mg AA/g) than A. viridis. The findings of the heavy metals analysis revealed that the concentrations of zinc, manganese, iron, and chromium were below the recommended limits of FAO/WHO, whereas copper (in both species) and cadmium (in A. viridis) were over the acceptable levels. The leaves of both species showed significant cytotoxic activity (LC₅₀ < 1000). The study concluded that A. viridis and A. spinosus are great sources of phytochemicals, nutrients, and natural antioxidants. The results also support the traditional medical uses of these plant species and suggest more investigation to find novel compounds for pharmaceutical applications.