Unveiling the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity, and in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of three leafy green vegetables: Digera muricata, Trianthema portulacastrum, and Alternanthera philoxeroides.

This study investigates the phytochemical composition, and biological properties of methanol and ethanol extracts from Digera muricata, Trianthema portulacastrum, and Alternanthera philoxeroides, emphasizing their bioactive potential in food chemistry. Among the extracts, the methanol extract of D. muricata showed the highest phenolic (94.41 ± 1.48 mg GAE/g, p < 0.0001) and flavonoid (20.27 ± 0.52 mg CE/g, p < 0.0001) content, correlating with superior antioxidant activity. The methanol extract of A. philoxeroides exhibited strong cytotoxicity (LC50: 13.89 ± 1.33 μg/mL, p < 0.05), while the ethanol extract of T. portulacastrum demonstrated the highest anti-inflammatory activity via membrane stabilization (61.89 ± 0.5 %, p < 0.0001) and protein denaturation assays (46.67 ± 2.34 %, p < 0.01). These findings highlight the bioactive potential of these leafy vegetables for functional food development and natural therapeutic applications. Further research should explore phenolic profiling, processing effects, and in vivo evaluation of their bioactive constituents.