Metabolic profiling and biological studies of Aegle marmelos enriched fractions: a potential source for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

BACKGROUND

Aegle marmelos exhibits a diverse spectrum of primary and secondary metabolites with significant therapeutic potential. This study explains a systematic protocol for a comprehensive -assessment of bioactivity, i.e. antihypertensive, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory of three less studied molecules: Quinic acid, Myo-inositol and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol in A. marmelos, and their targeted enrichment.

RESULT: Different fractions of the plant were enriched using a combination of chromatographic techniques and quantification using advanced analytical characterisation methods, including HPTLC, HPLC, DSA-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. The bioactivity assessment is designed to include in silico, in vitro, and ex vivo experiments. Successful enrichment of these trace molecules (<0.005% in crude) was achieved, with quantifiable amounts for quinic acid 0.13% w/w, 0.27% for myo-inositol, and 0.29% for 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol, affirming the efficacy and reliability of these enrichment methods.

CONCLUSION

This study presents a resource-efficient and scalable enrichment method promising for large-scale, cost-effective production of enriched phytochemicals. GC-MS and NMR-based metabolomics provide excellent holistic methods to monitor variations, ensuring high-quality control of pharmaceutical herbs.