Phytochemical Profile and Bioactive Potential of Hampea rovirosae Standl.: Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Carbohydrate-Hydrolyzing Enzyme Inhibitory Activities

TL;DR

This study explores the health benefits of Hampea rovirosae, finding it has antioxidant, antibacterial, and blood sugar-lowering properties.

Contribution

The paper provides a detailed phytochemical and bioactivity profile of Hampea rovirosae, validating its traditional medicinal uses.

Findings

Hydroethanolic extract showed highest antioxidant and phenolic content.

Extracts inhibited several bacteria and carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes.

Key compounds like quercetin-3-glucoside and caffeic acid were identified.

Abstract

Hampea rovirosae Standl. is traditionally used by local communities to treat infections, pain-related conditions, and to reduce blood sugar levels. In this investigation, we produced aqueous, ethanolic, and hydroethanolic extracts of H. rovirosae and assessed their antioxidant, antibacterial, and antihyperglycemic properties in addition to their phytochemical profiles and contents. The phytochemical characterization was performed through a targeted chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis of phenolic compounds and the quantitation of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total tannin content (TTC) by spectrometric assays. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays, and the antibacterial activity was determined by disk diffusion (DD) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. In addition, antihyperglycemic activity was evaluated by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Phytochemical analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), employing a targeted analysis approach based on comparing retention times and fragmentation patterns with standards and databases. This analysis revealed a phytochemical profile dominated by phenolic compounds, with quercetin-3-glucoside (155,930.2), caffeic acid (134,399.1), catechin (98,408.8), procyanidin B2 (85,661.7), protocatechuic acid (83,824.3), and epicatechin (53,704.1) being the major metabolites. The hydroethanolic extract exhibited the highest phenolic (426.70 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (119.17 mg CE/g), and tannin (324.46 mg GAE/g) contents, as well as the strongest antioxidant capacity in the DPPH and FRAP assays. Regarding the antibacterial effects, the aqueous extract inhibited Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli, while the hydroethanolic extract was active against S. aureus, B. cereus, and B. subtilis. In enzyme inhibition assays, the hydroethanolic extract showed strong α-glucosidase inhibition and moderate α-amylase inhibition. The findings provide preliminary scientific evidence of the antioxidant and biological activities of Hampea rovirosae in vitro, supporting its traditional use, which should be validated through vivo trials.