Evaluation of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of leaves of Baccharis alnifolia Meyen & Walp

Traditional uses of Baccharis alnifolia , family Asteraceae in the Andean communities of South America include bone pain, indigestion, anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic [ 1 ]. The species is important in phytoecology. Flavonoids comprise a group of polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plants; they possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, anti-microbial, anti-allergic, anti-tumor and anti-asthmatic properties [ 3 ]. The study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity by cell lysis, protein denaturation and antioxidant activity with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), of the ethanol extract of the plant with ethanol: 25, 50, 75 and 96% and temperature: 30, 40, 50 and 60°C. The highest concentration of flavonoids is at 50% and 50°C and 96% at 30°C; by UV-Vis spectroscopy; 59.36 mg quercetin/g [ 2 ] and 88.32 mg luteolin/g [ 4 ]; the quantification of phenols by Folin-Ciocalteu, 140.86 mg GAE/g of extract expressed as gallic acid. Antioxidant activity, in terms of IC 50 of 11.23 ppm. The anti-inflammatory activity by cell lysis of the extract at a concentration of 50 μg/mL at 96% and 30°C is 98.63% protection, superior to the diclofenac standard of 91.43%; the anti-inflammatory activity by protein denaturation at 100 μg/mL at 50% and 50°C, is 40.26% protection, compared to diclofenac of 35.49%. The results show the efficacy and safety of the vegetable under study, due to the presence of bioactive components. Acknowledgement We would like to thank UNSA INVESTIGA for the funded project “Chemical and Biological Characterization and Anti-inflammatory Activity of the Essential Oil and Ethanol Extract of Baccharis alnifolia (Chilca)” Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany