Author(s):

Heba A El-Gizawy, Ahmed S Alazzouni and Alaadin E El-Haddad

Abstract: This study was aimed to carry out pharmacognostical features of different D. regia organs, quantification and HPLC profiling of phenolics and flavonoids of leaves extract, also to evaluate possible hepatoprotective activities of the leaves hydroalcoholic extract and its fractions. Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf. (Fabaceae) is an ornamental tree with flamboyant flowers. Total phenolic content (TPC) as gallic acid equivalent /100g dried extract (GAE/100g DE), and total flavonoid contents (TFC) as catechin equivalent /100g (CE/100g DE) of the leaves were carried and out using Folin–Ciocalteu’s and aluminum chloride assays, respectively. TPC and TFC were 5.51g GAE/100g DE and 53.32g CE/100g DE respectively, with identification of 13 flavonoids, and 17 phenolics. Hesperidin showing the highest flavonoid content (48622.51 mg/100g DE), followed by quercetrin (711.5 mg/100g DE), while hydroxytyrosol was the major identified phenolic (1111.22 mg/100g DE) followed by catechin (1026.11 mg/100 g DE). Ethyl acetate fraction showed significant protection against the elevation in the levels of serum biochemical parameters, normal hepatocytes with minimum fatty changes, portal vain congestion and mild inflammatory cell infiltration around portal vain comparable to CCl4 group (P< 0.001). The potent and significant hepatoprotective activity of ethyl acetate fraction may be attributed to its high content of well-known antioxidant phenolic compounds. Thus, regarding our knowledge the present study may be the first one to test the hepatoprotective effect of Delonix regia fractions. This could suggest the use of D. regia as a natural chemopreventive agent against liver damage; liver toxicity by chlorinated agents.

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