Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Leucaena leucocephala Leaves Collected in Côte d’Ivoire

Aims: In a context of increasing valorization of tropical plant resources as potential sources of bioactive compounds, Leucaena leucocephala, a pantropical legume widely distributed in Côte d'Ivoire, represents a model of interest still insufficiently explored for its phytochemical and antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to determine the contents of condensed tannins, total tannins and total polyphenols, as well as the antioxidant activity of Leucaena leucocephala leaf extracts, in order to valorizing its nutraceutical potential.

Study Design: Leucaena leucocephala leaves were collected at the vegetative stage in the locality of Yamoussoukro, dried under shelter at room temperature and then crushed. The powder obtained was used for the various analyses at the Chemistry laboratory of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix HOUPHOUËT-B0IGNY in Yamoussoukro.

Place and Duration of Studies: After the harvest, the analyses were carried out from March to June 2023.

Methodology: Maceration and decoction were used to extract the phenolic compounds. Maceration extraction was done using a mixture of distilled water/ethanol (30/70, v/v) and distilled water/methanol (30/70, v/v) as solvent while decoction was done using distilled water only.

Results: The condensed tannin contents obtained in Leucaena leucocephala leaves were 137.52 ± 92.74, 140.22 ± 92.74, and 32.63 ± 7.13 mg Cat E/g extract, for methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous solutions, respectively. The total polyphenols contents were 5.74 ± 0.22, 4.01 ± 0.22, and 1.32 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g extract, respectively. The total tannin contents were 209.05 ± 7.49, 207.92 ± 7.49, and 55.85 ± 7.49 mg TAE/g extract, respectively. The antioxidant activities were 30.99±1.95, 19.75±0.740, and 12.21±2.63 mg TE/g extract, respectively.

Conclusion: It was concluded that Leucaena leucocephala leaves collected in Côte d’Ivoire contain bioactive compounds and has antioxidant activity with variations depending on the extraction solvent.