Phytochemical Screening and Biological Evaluation of Chenopodium album: Insights into Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Efficacy
Abstract
Natural products remain an important source for drug discovery because of their structural diversity and broad biological activities. Chenopodium album, locally known as “Bethe,” is a widely distributed edible weed with recognized medicinal value but remains under-characterized in material collected from Nepal. This study examined the phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial activity of C. album leaf extracts prepared by 10-day maceration in chloroform, methanol, and hexane. Qualitative screening revealed alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, triterpenoids, and phenolic compounds, with the methanol extract showing the richest profile. FTIR spectra revealed hydroxyl (O–H), aliphatic C–H, carbonyl (C=O), C=C, and C–O functional groups, while UV-visible spectroscopy showed absorptions characteristic of conjugated pigments and aromatic constituents. DPPH radical-scavenging assays gave IC values of 0.103 mg/mL for ascorbic acid and 47.68 mg/mL for the methanol extract, with inhibition rising from 11% at 10 mg/mL to 54.84% at 50 mg/mL; among the three extracts, methanol showed the highest activity, though still lower than ascorbic acid. Agar disc-diffusion assays showed that all three extracts inhibited Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive), with smaller inhibition zones than kanamycin. These findings establish a reproducible screening baseline for C. album from Nuwakot, identify methanol as the most promising extraction solvent for further study, and provide a practical reference for natural-products and pharmacognosy teaching within Tribhuvan University’s science curriculum. The results support the traditional medicinal use of C. album and its potential pharmaceutical applications; however, further fractionation, compound-level identification, and toxicological evaluation are recommended before considering any therapeutic use.