Caralluma fimbriata is a medicinal succulent plant known for its high phytochemical content and various therapeutic effects. The current study aims to assess the phytochemical contents and antioxidant capability of several solvent extracts from the entire plant. The powdered whole plant was extracted in stages with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol and defatted ethanol. A preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening was conducted to identify significant secondary metabolites. Antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH free radical scavenging test at doses of 20-100 µg/mL, using ascorbic acid as the standard reference. Phytochemical examination revealed that the extracts contained variable levels of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, steroids, proteins, amino acids, fixed oils and resins. The ethanolic extract had the most diverse phytochemical profile, followed by the ethyl acetate extract. All extracts showed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. The ethanolic extract had the highest free radical scavenging activity, with 86.8 ± 1.2% inhibition at 100 µg/mL, compared to 92.5 ± 1.2% for ascorbic acid. It also showed the lowest IC₅₀ value (48.9 µg/mL) among the tested extracts. The findings indicate that Caralluma fimbriata, particularly its ethanolic extract, is a promising natural source of antioxidants with potential pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.
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