Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Carbazole Alkaloids from Murraya Koenigii Roots for Hand Cream Formulation

Lee, Jia Hui (2025) Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Carbazole Alkaloids from Murraya Koenigii Roots for Hand Cream Formulation. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Murraya koenigii (curry leaf tree) is a rich source of bioactive compounds with a wide range of pharmacological activities. In this study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of M. koenigii roots were investigated. The hexane crude extract and its 19 subfractions were evaluated for both properties. While the antioxidant activity was generally weak across all samples, the anti-inflammatory results were more promising. The hexane crude extract exhibited strong lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibition, achieving 97.05 ± 0.30% inhibition at a concentration of 400 μg/mL, with an IC50 value of 62.99 ± 2.45 μg/mL. Among the subfractions, M3-4 showed the most potent activity, with 92.43 ± 5.17% inhibition at same concentration and an IC50 value of 46.78 ± 1.04 μg/mL. Further chromatographic purification of subfraction M3-4 led to the successful isolation of two carbazole alkaloids namely cyclomahanimbine 1 and mahanimbine 2. Both compounds demonstrated notable 5-LOX inhibitory activity, with cyclomahanimbine 1 achieving 83.53 ± 3.90% inhibition (IC50 = 69.27 ± 1.53 μg/mL) while mahanimbine 2 showing 83.87 ± 3.51% inhibition (IC50 value = 190.65 ± 15.90 μg/mL). These finding were further supported by an in silico molecular docking study, which revealed a mean binding free energy of -9.11 kcal/mol for cyclomahanimbine and -8.96 kcal/mol for mahanimbine, highlighting both compounds’ potential as natural bioactive agent for incorporation into anti-inflammatory hand cream formulations. Two cream formulations with varying ingredients ratios were developed to achieve different textures and pH profiles. Formulation 2, with a thicker consistency and a pH of 4.89, was preferred due to its better skin compatibility and with more stable formulation. Keywords: Murraya koenigii; carbazole alkaloids; antioxidant; anti-inflammatory; 5-LOX.