Muhammad Talha Khalil1, Muhammad Akram1*, Abid Rashid2
1Department of Eastern Medicine, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
2Faculty of Medical Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author’s email: muhammadakram@gcuf.edu.pk
Received: 06 November 2025 / Revised: 31 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 January 2026 / Published Online: 02 February 2026
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a rising health crisis in the world resulting in progressive renal impairment due to oxidative stress and inflammation. This research has undertaken the phytochemical and bioactivity description of Boerhavia diffusa L. (punarnava), an Ayurvedic herb used in renal and hepatic rejuvenation. Maximum concentrations of the bioactive constituents were obtained in the 70% ethanolic extract which had a total phenolic content (TPC) of 34 mg GAE/g and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 60.52 ug CE/mL. As the major flavonoid, rutin (0.42 mg/g) and quercetin (0.31 mg/g) and the presence of significant amounts of phenolic acids such as chlorogenic (0.25 mg/g), gallic (0.18 mg/g), and caffeic (0.12 mg/g) acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification. Assessment of antioxidants through DPPH assay indicated a high radical scavenging potential (24.31% inhibition) in the 70% ethanol extract that is similar to a standardized phenolic mixture (23.85). Multivariate statistical analysis involving correlation heat maps, hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the capacity of antioxidants was highly linked to individual flavonoids but not the total phenolic content, and that compound specific bioactivity was important. Moreover, non-linear, synergistic relationships between phytochemical pools were estimated by regression modeling, highlighting the complexity of whole-plant therapeutic actions. The presence of a large number of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenols, and glycosides was confirmed by qualitative screening; no tannins or steroids were detected, which is also consistent with the historical safety of the plant in chronic preparations. These results provide a phytochemical and in vitro antioxidant characterization of B. diffusa and place its traditional use in a phytochemical context.
Keywords: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), Phytochemical profiling, Antioxidant activity, Flavonoids, Rutin, Quercetin oxidative stress, Ayurvedic herb
