Green Chemistry-Based Extraction, Phytochemical Screening, and Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Aerva lanata

Green chemistry has emerged as an important approach in natural product research because it promotes environmentally friendly extraction techniques and minimizes the use of hazardous solvents. The present study investigated the green chemistry-based extraction, phytochemical screening, (PS) and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of Aerva lanata, a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine. The plant material was collected from the Buldhana region of Maharashtra, India, shade-dried, powdered, and subjected to hydroalcoholic extraction using the maceration method to obtain the crude extract. Preliminary PS was performed using standard qualitative tests, which revealed the presence of several important phytoconstituents including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and steroids, while glycosides were present in minor amounts. These phytochemicals are known for their significant pharmacological activities, particularly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The anti-inflammatory potential of the extract was evaluated using an in vitro protein denaturation inhibition assay at concentrations of 100–500 µg/mL. The results demonstrated a concentration-dependent increase in inhibition, with values of 10.4%, 15.8%, 17.6%, 28.9%, and 39.7% at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 µg/mL, respectively. In comparison, the standard drug diclofenac sodium exhibited inhibition values of 40.2%, 55.6%, 69.4%, 82.1%, and 91.5% at the same concentrations. These findings indicate that Aerva lanata possesses notable AI, which may be attributed to the synergistic effects of its phytochemical constituents. Overall, the study supports the traditional medicinal use of Aerva lanata and highlights its potential as a promising natural source for developing safer anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents

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