Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Activity of Aegle Marmelos

Abstract

Introduction: The bael plant (Aegle marmelos) is an aromatic fruit, native to Southeast Asia, known to be a good source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds. It has been used in traditional medicine for generations to treat issues like long-term diarrhea, dysentery, stomach ulcers, and even constipation. This study focused on determining the phytochemical contents and antioxidant activity of the Aegle marmelos fruit.

Methods: A. marmelos’s fresh fruit was dried in the oven and ground into powder. The powder was extracted with ethanol, and ethanol extract of A. marmelos’s powder was then utilized to determine the total phenolic content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Total flavonoid content (TFC) using quercetin and antioxidant activity were screened using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH).

Results: The analysis showed significant levels of phytochemical compounds with TPC (209.89 ± 0.06 mg gallic acid equivalents/g of CE), TFC (17.48 ± 0.04 mg quercetin equivalents/g of CE and antioxidant activity (4.75 ± 1.79 QE/g of CE).

Conclusion: This study showed that A. marmelos contains useful phytochemicals with antioxidant activity. These findings suggest it could be a good natural ingredient for making healthier food, traditional medicine, and wellness products in the future.