Diospyros mespiliformis, commonly known as African ebony, is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional African medicine. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical constituents, isolate bioactive compounds, and evaluate the antioxidant activity of the methanol leaf extract of Diospyros mespiliformis. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. Column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) were employed to isolate and characterize a compound, identified as a triterpenoid mixture consisting of α-amyrin and β-amyrin. The antioxidant activity of the crude extract and the isolated compound was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The isolated compound exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with an IC50 value of 8.5 µg/mL, compared to the crude extract (IC50 = 10.5 µg/mL) and ascorbic acid (IC50 = 4.25 µg/mL). These findings suggest that Diospyros mespiliformis is a rich source of bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant properties, supporting its traditional use in managing oxidative stress-related diseases.
Diospyros mespiliformis, phytochemicals, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, antioxidant activity, DPPH assay
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