Phytochemical Profiles and Free Radical-Scavenging Properties of Extracts and Smoke-Water from Amakamo Vessel Fumigation Plants

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Traditional amakamo processors in Kiruhura District, Uganda, fumigate milk fermentation vessels with certain plant stem-wood, but information on the phytochemical characteristics of the wood extracts and smoke-derived aqueous preparations remains limited. The study descriptively analysed methanolic, hydroethanolic and smoke-water extracts (SWE) of Rhus natalensis, Combretum molle and Gardenia ternifolia. Three independent stem-wood batches were collected for each species and independently extracted with methanol and 50% ethanol. Three independent SWE preparations were produced using individual smoked gourds. Qualitative phytochemical screening, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), percentage DPPH inhibition and IC50 were determined and summarized as mean ±SD (n=3 independent preparations). Extraction yields for methanol ranged from 15.14±0.58% to 23.01±0.10%, while hydroethanolic yields ranged from 16.96±0.12% to 23.76±0.20%. Phenols and flavonoids were detected in all preparations. Combretum molle SWE had the highest mean TPC (387.27± 0.00 mg GAE/g) and TFC (7.59 ±0.62 mg RE/g) among all preparations. Hydroethanolic Combretum molle exhibited the highest mean % DPPH inhibition (97.33 ±0.58%), whereas methanolic Combretum molle had the lowest IC50 (0.040 ±0.002 mg/mL). The findings demonstrate that phytochemical and radical-scavenging profiles varied by plant species and preparation method. Because SWE was generated through smoldering, smoke deposition and aqueous recovery rather than direct solvent extraction, its high numerical TPC/TFC values should not be interpreted as evidence of superior extraction efficiency. More studies are required to further characterise the chemical constituents of smoke and evaluate the effects of vessel fumigation on amakamo quality and safety.