Foliar Biophenolic Antioxidant Metabolites of Alternanthera bettzickiana

Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) Nicholson (Family: Amaranthaceae) is an erect herb and an ornamental pot plant, claimed to be useful in purifying and nourishing blood, in addition to the acclaimed soft laxative, galactagogue, antipyretic and wound healing characteristics. The tender leaves and shoots are commonly consumed like vegetable or spinach and in soups, either cooked alone or mixed with other vegetables and served with a staple food like rice or ugali. From the hydrophilic extract of the fresh leaves that exhibited in vitro antioxidant/radical scavenging (ABTS•+ and FRAP assays) and metal (Ferrous ion) chelating capacities, six biophenolic antioxidants, viz., 7-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl-6-C-b-D-glucopyranosylapigenin, 6-C-b-D-glucopyranosylapigenin, 8-C-bD-glucopyranosylapigenin, (E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid, (E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) prop-2-enoic acid and (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid, have been isolated and characterised for the first time adopting extensive chromatographic and spectral studies.