From laboratory evidence to community health: Development of an evidence-based health brochure on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. cultivated in Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Paper Details
From laboratory evidence to community health: Development of an evidence-based health brochure on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. cultivated in Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Abstract
Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. is a widely used medicinal plant in Southeast Asia, yet scientific information on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of plants cultivated in the Philippines remains limited, and laboratory findings are seldom translated into practical community health resources. This study was conducted to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of G. procumbens leaves grown in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, and to develop a science-based health brochure for community use. Young and mature leaves were collected from cultivated plants, botanically authenticated, and extracted with methanol. Qualitative phytochemical screening was performed using standard protocols, while antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay at concentrations of 25–150 μg/mL, with ascorbic acid as the reference standard. The extract tested positive for alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, and steroids, whereas anthraquinones, saponins, and cyanogenic glycosides were absent. Antioxidant activity increased with increasing extract concentration, with DPPH radical inhibition rising from 46.50% at 25 μg/mL to 77.91% at 150 μg/mL, accompanied by a reduction in mean absorbance from 0.568 to 0.234. Duncan’s Multiple Range Test confirmed significant differences among treatment concentrations and between the plant extract and the positive control. Although ascorbic acid exhibited greater antioxidant activity, the G. procumbens extract demonstrated substantial free radical scavenging capacity in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings confirm that G. procumbens cultivated in Ilocos Sur is a valuable source of antioxidant phytochemicals and provide scientific evidence supporting its traditional use. Furthermore, the study demonstrates how laboratory-generated evidence can be effectively translated into community-based educational materials to promote the safe, evidence-based, and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants.
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Alma B. Segismundo*¹, Aurea Marie M. Sandoval, 2026. From laboratory evidence to community health: Development of an evidence-based health brochure on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. cultivated in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Int. J. Biosci., 28(6), 177-187.
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