Extracting phytochemicals from Neem leaves

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the recommendations and future work and conclusions and future-work section and stated challenges of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 8 journals. Those papers have been cited 31 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Acetone-Based Comparative Phytochemical Profiling of Indonesian Ethnomedicinal Plants: Effects of Maceration and Soxhlet Extraction (2026) · JURNAL SURYA TEKNIKA · doi

  (a) compound quantification via HPLC-DAD and LC-MS/MS; (b) validated in vitro bioactivity assays (DPPH, MIC, MTT assay); (c) bioactivity-guided fractionation; (d) OECD 423 acute toxicity testing before formulation development. include REFERENCES [1] H. J. Woerdenbag and O. Kayser, "Jamu: Indonesian traditional rational phytopharmacological use," J. Herb. Med., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 51–73, 2014. herbal medicine towards [2] N. N. Azwanida, "A review on the extraction methods used in medicinal plants: principle, strength and limitation," Med. Aromat. Plants, vol. 4, no. 196, 2015. [3] M. D. L. De Castro and F. Priego-Capote, "Soxhlet extraction: Past and present panacea," J. Chromatogr. A, vol. 1217, no. 16, pp. 2383–2389, 2010. [4] S. Sun et al., "Impact of extraction techniques on phytochemical composition and bioactivity of natural product mixtures," Front. Pharmacol., vol. 16, art. 1615338, 2025. [5] L. G. M. da Silva et al., "Synergy between solvent polarity and composition for efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from pitaya," Food Mater. Res., vol. 5, no. 1, 2025. [6] M. Naczk and F. Shahidi, "Phenolics in cereals, fruits and vegetables: Occurrence, extraction and analysis," J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal., vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 1523– 1542, 2006. [7] C. Reichardt and T. Welton, Solvents and Solvent Effects in Organic Chemistry. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. [8] A. J. Harborne, Phytochemical Methods: A Guide to Modern Techniques of Plant Analysis. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Science & Business Media, 1998. [9] W. C. Evans, Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy, 15th ed. India: Saunders/Elsevier Science, 2002. [10] A. E. Sofowara, Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in Africa, vol. 2. Ibadan, Nigeria: Spectrum Books Ltd., 1993. [11] K. S. Sim, A. M. Sri Nurestri, and A. W. Norhanom, "Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of crude and fractionated extracts of Pereskia bleo (Kunth) DC. (Cactaceae)," African J. Pharm. Pharmacol., vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 193–201, 2010. [12] S. Zareisedehizadeh, C.-H. Tan, and H.-L. Koh, "A review of botanical characteristics, traditional usage, chemical components, pharmacological activities, and safety of Pereskia bleo (Kunth) DC.," Evidence-Based Complement. Altern. Med., vol. 2014, art. 326107, 2014. [13] R. M. P. Gutierrez, S. Mitchell, and R. V. Solis, "Psidium guajava: A review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry J. Ethnopharmacol., vol. 117, no. 1, pp. 1–27, 2008. pharmacology," and [14] Z. Khan, D. Shahwar, M. K. Y. Ansari, and R. Chandel, "Toxicity assessment of anatase (TiO2) nanoparticles: A pilot study on stress response alterations and DNA damage studies in Lens culinaris Medik.," Heliyon, 2019. [15] I. T. Fu’adah, S. A. Sumiwi, and G. Wilar, "The evo

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: extraction traditional bioactivity review plants toxicity medicine medicinal techniques phytochemical composition pharmacol solvent pharm science
• Solvent-Based Extraction Recovers Phytochemicals from Medicinal Plants Demonstrating Anticancer and Chemopreventive Potential: A Review (2026) · Molecules · cited 13× · doi

  BACs derived from medicinal plants show considerable anticancer potential, but this review demonstrates that their observed activity is inseparable from the extraction strategies used to recover them. Extraction is not merely a preparative step; it is a decisive factor that determines which region of plant chemical space is sampled, which compounds are preserved or transformed, and which biological responses can ultimately be observed. Across the literature, variability in solvent environment, extraction intensity, thermal expo- sure, plant matrix accessibility, and analytical resolution collectively shapes phytochemical profiles and reported anticancer outcomes. A central overarching insight emerging from this review is that variability in reported anticancer activity particularly IC50 values is fundamentally driven by extraction-dependent differences in phytochemical composition, rather than biological response alone. Wide variation in IC50 values across studies reflects not only biological response, but also differences in plant material, extraction conditions, selective enrichment, compound stability, and the level of post-extraction chemical resolu- tion. In many cases, extraction efficiency and anticancer efficacy are not directly aligned; methods that recover more material do not necessarily enrich the metabolites most re- sponsible for cytotoxic or antiproliferative effects, and crude extract systems cannot be interpreted as equivalent to chemically resolved fractions. A more meaningful evaluation of phytochemicals anticancer potential therefore requires closer integration of extraction design, phytochemical characterization, and biological testing. A further key insight is that no single solvent-based extraction technique is universally superior. Instead, each method offers a distinct balance among selectivity, recovery, stability, and compositional modification. Diffusion-based methods tend to preserve thermolabile constituents but often yield chemically broad crude mixtures, whereas heat-intensive methods can improve re- covery from dense tissues while also driving degradation, selective loss, or transformation of metabolites. Distillation-based methods recover narrower volatile fractions with more defined membrane-related effects but sample only a limited portion of the phytochemical https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31071202 Molecules 2026, 31, 1202 39 of 44 spectrum. The biological efficacy reported across studies is therefore governed less by the name of the extraction method than by the qualitative and quantitative composition of the recovered metabolites and the degree to which those metabolites remain stable, bioaccessible, and mechanistically relevant. Addressing these challenges requires a shift toward a unified, phytochemical-informed framework that integrates extraction design, chemical characterization, and biological validation. Future progress in this field will depend on three interconnected priorities. First, extrac

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: extraction biological anticancer phytochemical metabolites recover plant chemical across reported based potential review observed activity
• Influence of Extraction Techniques and Solvent Composition on Phenolic Recovery and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from New Zealand-Grown Macadamia Husk (2026) · Applied Sciences · doi

  Future research should focus on characterising the individual phenolic profile of the optimised extracts, evaluating their biological activities, and assessing the scalability and economic feasibility of the most promising extraction processes for industrial application.

  generalconclusions
  Keywords: future focus characterising individual phenolic profile optimised extracts evaluating biological activities assessing scalability economic feasibility
• Effect of different solvent on phytochemical content of Moringa oleifera L. leaves. (2026) · International Journal of Life Science Research Archive · doi

  Further studies can be conducted to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extracted phytochemicals. The study's findings can be used to develop effective extraction methods for phytochemicals from Moringa oleifera L. leaves.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: further studies conducted evaluate antioxidant activity extracted phytochemicals
• Phytochemical Extraction and Quantitative Analysis of Bioactive Compounds from Azadirachta indica Leaves (2026) · International Journal of Drug Delivery Technology · doi

  The study faces the challenge of extracting phytochemicals from Neem leaves. The researchers need to identify the most efficient solvent system for extraction. The study requires the detection of high azadirachtin levels.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study faces challenge extracting phytochemicals neem leaves researchers
• Coffee and Cocoa By-Products as Valuable Sources of Bioactive Compounds: The Influence of Ethanol on Extraction (2025) · Antioxidants · cited 18× · doi

  Further studies could investigate the effects of other extraction conditions on the extraction yield and composition of phenolic compounds. The stability and bioavailability of the extracted compounds could be investigated. Other types of by-products could be studied for their potential to be valorized through the extraction of phenolic compounds and melanoidins.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: further studies investigate effects other extraction conditions yield
• Isolation and characterization of caffeic acid from Cobra Lily (Arisaema propinquum) and evaluation of its biological activities (2026) · International Journal of Secondary Metabolite · doi

  Further research is needed to investigate the molecular targets and pathways of the herb's antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Further research is needed to evaluate the toxicity of the herb's extracts. Further research is needed to develop standardized plant-based therapeutics from the herb's extracts.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: further research needed investigate molecular targets pathways herb
• Phytochemical Extraction from Mediterranean Plants: A Comparative Study of Traditional Techniques (2026) · Sciences of Phytochemistry · doi

  Future studies should incorporate replicated experiments, standardized sample preparation, and quantitative targeted phytochemical analysis. Future studies should investigate the effect of other extraction techniques and solvents on the recovery of bioactive compounds. Future studies should develop new products or applications using these plants.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: future studies incorporate replicated experiments standardized sample preparation

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