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Description
Natural products remain a vital source of novel therapeutic agents, making the investigation of their bioactive potential and chemical composition both timely and essential. Aningeria robusta, a tropical hardwood tree widely used in African ethnomedicine for treating infections and inflammation, has received limited scientific scrutiny. Preliminary phytochemical screening of its extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and phenolics. Antioxidant assays demonstrated significant free radical scavenging activity, with IC₅₀ values of 140.00 ± 0.02 mg/l (DPPH) and 276.06 ± 0.32 mg/l (hydrogen peroxide), though less potent than ascorbic acid. The extract also exhibited antimicrobial activity, particularly against Bacillus subtilis (MIC: 0.78 mg/ml), with ciprofloxacin being 2–16 times more effective depending on the microorganism.The anti-inflammatory efficacy was measured against dexamethasone and diclofenac, where AR presented an ED₅₀ of 281.4 mg/kg, suggesting lower potency but still maintaining the potential for safe use with further research. Fractionation and isolation of the extract led to the isolation of “an off-white” compound which was characterized using spectroscopic techniques as 3β-Taraxerol. This is the first report of 3β-Taraxerol being isolated from Aningeria robusta. The findings provide the first scientific validation for its traditional medicinal use and supporting its potential as a natural therapeutic agent.