J. Biodivers. Conservation 10(2): 198-204
2026
ISSN: 2457-0761 (online)
Jaydeep Kumar Sahu1*
1Department of Dravyaguna, Poornayu Ayurved Chikitsalaya Evam Anusandhan Vidyapeeth, Dayodayateerth, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
*Email-Id: drjaydeepsahu26@gmail.com; ORCID: 0000-0001-5941-0934
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20770175
Article Details: Received: 2026-05-28| Accepted: 2026-06-20| Available online: 2026-06-20
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Abstract: The flowers of Mesua ferrea L., commonly known as Nagkesar are quite remarkable, especially when it comes to their medicinal properties. The aim of investigating the antioxidant activity of M. ferrea flowers is to evaluate their capacity to scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. The experimental analysis was carried out by using extracts of n-hexane, ethanol and water, examining their ability to scavenge free radicals at concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 1.0 mg/ml. The findings were pretty interesting; all three extracts showed a clear increase in percentage inhibition as the concentration rose. The ethanolic extract stood out with the strongest antioxidant activity, ranging from 80.83% to 91.69%. The aqueous extract followed closely behind, showing inhibition between 79.13% and 84.30%. Meanwhile, the n-hexane extract had lower activity, with percentages between 68.03% and 79.18%. The peak inhibition of 91.69% was recorded for the ethanolic extract at the highest concentration of 1.0 mg/ml. This pattern ethanolic > aqueous > n-hexane suggests that ethanol, being a polar solvent, is more effective at extracting the phenolic and flavonoid compounds that help in scavenging free radicals. The current investigation highlights the flowers of M. ferrea as a promising natural source of antioxidants for developing new therapeutics, nutraceuticals and functional foods.
Keywords: Functional food, Nagkesar, nutraceuticals, oxidative stress, therapeutics
Introduction
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals are constantly produced as natural by-products of our cellular metabolism (Juan et al., 2021; Almeida et al., 2022). However, when they build up too much, they can cause oxidative stress, which is linked to a range of chronic and degenerative diseases like cancer, heart issues, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders and even premature aging (Anwar et al., 2026; de la Lastra et al., 2026). While our bodies do have built-in antioxidant defenses, these often fall short against the overwhelming oxidative stress caused by environmental pollutants, unhealthy diets and lifestyle choices (Chaudhary et al., 2023; Sharifi-Rad et al., 2026). This has sparked a growing interest in finding exogenous antioxidants, especially those derived from natural plant sources, as safer and more sustainable alternatives to synthetic antioxidants, which can sometimes come with toxic side effects and health risks (Birben et al., 2012; Aseervatham et al., 2013). Among the most abundant and biologically active secondary metabolites in plants are phenolic compounds and flavonoids (Roy et al., 2022; Kuljarusnont et al., 2024). These compounds are well-known for their strong free radical scavenging and antioxidant abilities, thanks to their capacity to donate hydrogen atoms or electrons, chelate metal ions and stabilize reactive radicals (Thakur et al., 2021; Jomova et al., 2025). As a result, many medicinal plants rich in phenolics and flavonoids have been thoroughly researched for their potential to help fight oxidative stress and related health issues.
Figure 1: Flower of M. ferrea
Mesua ferrea L., often referred to as Nagkesar or Indian rose chestnut, is a lush evergreen tree that belongs to the Calophyllaceae family and is found throughout South and Southeast Asia (Chahar, 2013; Kuerban et al., 2024). Traditionally, various parts of this plant like its flowers, bark, seeds and leaves have been used in indigenous medicine to treat a variety of issues, including wounds, fever, rheumatism and gastrointestinal problems (Asif et al., 2017; Bundel, 2023). However, even with its rich history in ethnomedicine, the antioxidant properties of M. ferrea flowers, especially concerning their phenolic and flavonoid content, haven’t been thoroughly investigated in scientific research. The polarity of solvents is key when it comes to effectively extracting bioactive compounds from plant materials, as it significantly affects the solubility and yield of phenolic and flavonoid compounds (Chaithada et al., 2018). Keeping this in mind, present study aimed to analyse the phenolic and flavonoid content in M. ferrea flowers and to carefully assess the antioxidant activity of extracts made with solvents of different polarities like n-hexane (non-polar), ethanol (polar organic) and water (polar) across a range of concentrations from 0.125 to 1.0 mg/ml. The investigation evaluated the free radical scavenging activity of each extract to compare how effective these solvents are at extracting antioxidant compounds, ultimately shedding light on the best extraction methods to tap into the therapeutic benefits of M. ferrea flowers as a natural source of antioxidants.
Figure 2: Collected M. ferrea flowers for experimental analysis
Methodology
The present study is based on a conflation of field surveys, experimental analyses and a thorough review of existing literature on M. ferrea. The authors gathered relevant peer-reviewed articles, review papers, ethnobotanical surveys and pharmacological studies from scientific databases like Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. To find the right publications, some key terms has been used such as ‘Mesua ferrea’, ‘medicinal uses’ and ‘potent scavenging bioactive compounds’. The field surveys took place between March – May 2026 and authors have identified the plants following the flora guide by Saxena and Brahmam (1994). Additionally, experimental works were conducted to verify the presence of phytoconstituents and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of M. ferrea flowers using the DPPH radical scavenging assay.
Antioxidant DPPH assay
% Inhibition= A0 – As /A0× 100
Where, A₀ is the absorbance of the control and Aₛ is the absorbance of the sample after blank correction
Results and discussion
The DPPH assay clearly demonstrated a concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in all three extracts of M. ferrea flowers (Table 1). Among them, the ethanolic extract stood out with the highest inhibition rates at every concentration tested, ranging from 80.83% to 91.69%. It was followed by the aqueous extract, which showed inhibition levels between 79.13% and 84.30% and then the n-hexane extract, with values from 68.03% to 79.18%. As expected, the inhibition decreased consistently with lower concentrations across all extracts, confirming the typical dose-dependent response seen in plant-derived antioxidants (Figure 3). The ethanolic extract’s superior performance is likely due to its effectiveness in extracting polar phenolic and flavonoid compounds, which are key players in radical scavenging activity. This finding aligns with previous studies indicating that polar solvents tend to exhibit higher DPPH scavenging activity in M. ferrea compared to non-polar solvents. On the other hand, the n-hexane extract’s lower activity can be attributed to its non-polar nature, which favors the extraction of lipophilic compounds rather than phenolics. The moderate activity of the aqueous extract further emphasizes how solvent polarity influences antioxidant recovery. Overall, these results support the idea that the antioxidant potential of M. ferrea is closely linked to its rich content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, reinforcing the effectiveness of ethanol as a solvent for extracting these antioxidant-rich elements from M. ferrea flowers.
Table 1: Antioxidant potential of M. ferrea flower extracts
Concentration | Inhibition (%) | ||
n-Hexane | Ethanolic | Aqueous | |
1.0 | 79.18 | 91.69 | 84.30 |
0.5 | 77.81 | 90.21 | 83.73 |
0.25 | 71.33 | 88.28 | 80.65 |
0.125 | 68.03 | 80.83 | 79.13 |
Figure 3: Antioxidant activity of M. ferrea flower extracts
Conclusion
The current investigation revealed that extracts from the M. ferrea flowers showed impressive antioxidant activity, as demonstrated by the DPPH radical scavenging assay. Out of the three solvent extracts tested, the ethanolic extract stood out with the highest, dose-dependent radical scavenging activity followed by the aqueous extract and the n-hexane extract. This pattern suggests that the antioxidant power of M. ferrea flowers is closely tied to the polarity of the solvent used, with ethanol proving to be the most effective at extracting the phenolic and flavonoid compounds that help combat free radicals. These results emphasize ethanol as the go-to solvent for tapping into the antioxidant potential of M. ferrea flowers, highlighting the species as a promising natural source of antioxidant agents for future pharmaceutical and nutraceutical uses.
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