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Vol. 38 No. 1 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 1, 2026

Copyright (c) 2025 SHYBEY MARIAM ABRAHAM, Dr. IWIN C VARKEY

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Phytochemical Composition and Pharmacological Activities of Peperomia pellucida Methanolic Leaf Extract: Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Anticancer Potentials

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2026.34829
Shybey Mariam Abraham
Department of Chemistry, CMS College of Science and Commerce, Coimbatore-686001, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6691-9905
Iwin C. Varkey
Department of Chemistry, CMS College of Science and Commerce, Coimbatore-686001, India
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5937-3054

Corresponding Author(s) : Iwin C. Varkey

iwin.c.varkey@gmail.com

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 38 No. 1 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 1, 2026

Abstract

This study explores the phytochemical composition and biological activities of methanolic leaf extracts of Peperomia pellucida. Phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis revealed a wide range of bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols and terpenoids, with the methanolic extract showing the richest profile. Antioxidant activity measured by the DPPH assay demonstrated strong free radical scavenging potential (IC50 = 75.4 µg/mL), comparable to ascorbic acid. The extract also exhibited potent antidiabetic effects through inhibition of α-amylase (IC50 = 60.8 µg/mL) and a-glucosidase (IC50 = 52.8 µg/mL), exceeding the standard drug acarbose. Furthermore, anticancer evaluation on MCF-7 breast cancer cells showed dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity, inducing apoptotic features such as cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation and DNA cleavage, confirmed by AO/EB staining and DNA fragmentation assays. Overall, the methanolic extract of P. pellucida demonstrates strong antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticancer potential, supporting its future application in therapeutic development and cancer medicine.

Keywords

Peperomia pellucida Methanolic extract Antioxidant activity Antidiabetic activity Anticancer activity
(1)
Abraham, S. M.; Varkey, I. C. Phytochemical Composition and Pharmacological Activities of Peperomia Pellucida Methanolic Leaf Extract: Antioxidant, Antidiabetic and Anticancer Potentials. ajc 2025, 38, 97-106.
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