FTIR Analysis, Total Phenolic Content, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Hildegardia populifolia (Roxb.) Schott and Endl. (Malvaceae)

Background: Diabetes has become a major public health issue in developing countries, with rising prevalence in urban populations. Type II diabetes, the most common form, can be managed with medication, diet and exercise. In India, Ayurvedic medicine utilizes botanicals for treating various conditions. Hildegardia populifolia, an endangered plant, has shown promise due to its therapeutic properties. Objectives: The aim and objectives of this study were to identify the active constituents by preliminary phytochemical screening, characterise the functional groups using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrosocpy, analyse the total amount of phenols and to study the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of aqueous leaf extract of Hildegardia populifolia. Materials and Methods: Total phenolic content was measured with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Anti-diabetic potential was assessed by 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid method using α-amylase inhibition assay. Results: Phytochemical study of the extract revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins and terpenoids. The total phenolic content was 27.05 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) per gram of extract. FTIR analysis showed the presence of 16 peaks representing functional groups like OH, C=C, C=O, C-Br, etc. The plant extract demonstrated good antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities, likely to the standard, ascorbic acid and acarbose respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Hildegardia populifolia has strong potential for future research in developing therapeutic agents with both antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties, contributing to the search for innovative treatments for diabetes.