ISOLATION OF URSOLIC ACID FROM LEAVES OF EUCALYPTUS TERETICORNIS SMITH: ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIDIABETIC, MOLECULAR DOCKING, AND ADMET PROFILING

Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid widely distributed in medicinal plants and is recognized for a broad spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. In the present study, leaves of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. were subjected to sequential solvent extraction, and ursolic acid was isolated by column chromatographic purification. Structure of the isolated compound was confirmed by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C NMR) spectroscopy, experiments, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Isolated compound was further evaluated for in-vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, and for antidiabetic potential using the α-amylase inhibitory assay. Molecular docking was performed against the porcine pancreatic α-amylase target (PDB ID: 1OSE) to investigate binding modes and key molecular interactions governing inhibitory activity. In-silico ADMET profiling was conducted using SwissADME to estimate pharmacokinetic properties and drug-likeness. The findings demonstrate that E. tereticornis leaves represent a promising natural reservoir of ursolic acid and support its potential as a lead scaffold for the development of antioxidant and antidiabetic therapeutics.