Anticonvulsant, Antioxidant, And In Vitro Cytotoxicity Activities of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae) Leaf Methanol Extract

Abstract

Although Leucaena leucocephala has long been used for its hepatoprotective, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, there has been no rigorous pharmacological validation. The anticonvulsant, antioxidant, and in vitro cytotoxic activities of L. leucocephala leaf methanol extract were investigated as the aim of the study. The presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenols, saponins, alkaloids, and terpenoids was verified by phytochemical screening. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP tests were used to assess antioxidant activity. Oral doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of pentylenetetrazol and strychnine were used to induce seizures in mice, and the resulting seizure models were used to measure in vivo anticonvulsant activity. MTT, Trypan blue, and Guinea corn radicle inhibition tests were used to assess cytotoxicity in HeLa and MCF-7 cells. IC50 values were computed for both antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. With IC50 values of 28.5 μg/mL (DPPH), 22.3 μg/mL (ABTS), and FRAP activity of 245.6 μmol Fe²+/g extract, the extract demonstrated strong antioxidant activity. The extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly decreased the frequency of seizures and delayed their onset in anticonvulsant assays (p < 0.05). Cytotoxicity tests showed that HeLa and MCF-7 cell viability were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 34.2 μg/mL and 37.8 μg/mL, respectively. Trypan blue staining verified decreased cell viability, and guinea corn radicle inhibition verified antiproliferative actions. Its traditional medicinal use is supported by the strong antioxidant, anticonvulsant, and selective cytotoxic qualities of the methanol extract of L. leucocephala leaves. These results support additional in vivo research, bioassay-guided fractionation, and safety assessments to pinpoint active ingredients and their therapeutic uses.

Keywords: Leucaena Leucocephala; Anticonvulsant; Antioxidant; Cytotoxicity; Flavonoids; Phenolics

Citation

Ukwubile CA, Chinda AI, Robert AE, Danmalam HU. Anticonvulsant, Antioxidant, And In Vitro Cytotoxicity Activities of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (Fabaceae) Leaf Methanol Extract. WebLog J Cancer Clin Res. wjcacr.2026.h0302. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21862134