Phytochemical Screening and In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Andrographis paniculata Leaves via BSA Denaturation

Inflammation is a protective biological response to tissue injury; however, excessive or persistent inflammation may contribute to pathological conditions. Andrographis paniculata leaves (king of bitters) are widely used in traditional medicine, yet systematic screening of their anti-inflammatory potential remains necessary. This study aimed to characterise the phytochemical profile and evaluate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of a 96% ethanolic leaf extract using the bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein denaturation inhibition assay. Dried leaf powder (300 g) was macerated with 96% ethanol to obtain a concentrated extract with a yield of 14% (w/w). Qualitative screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids, while steroids were not detected. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed at 5–25 ppm, with sodium diclofenac as a positive control. The extract exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in inhibition, from 21.30% (5 ppm) to 72.82% (25 ppm), and produced an IC₅₀ of 14.1467 ppm. Overall, the ethanolic leaf extract of A. paniculata demonstrated measurable anti-denaturation activity in this screening model, supporting its potential as a candidate for further standardisation and confirmatory anti-inflammatory testing.