Search

Background: Matricaria chamomilla L. (M. chamomilla) is a famous medicinal plant distributed worldwide. It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat all kinds of diseases, including infections, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and liver disorders. It is also used as a sedative, antispasmodic, antiseptic, and antiemetic. Our aims in this study was thus to quantify the phenolic, flavonoids contents in the flower of this plant, and also to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant potential and the in vivo analgesic activity. Methods: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the plant aqueous extract (MCAqE) were estimated using the Folin–Ciocalteu and AlCl3 colorimetric methods, respectively. However, DPPH method was used to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity. Analgesic activity was tested by acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. Results: Quantitative determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids revealed that this extract contained 158.41±1.6 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract and 37.06±0.56 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the plant extract was important (IC50=3.08±0.25 mg/mL). MCAqE extract, at 400 mg/kg, showed analgesic activity (39.60±8.70%) against acetic acid induced pain in mice while the standard reference drug Diclofenac sodium exhibited 90.44±2.80% activity at 10 mg/kg dose.

The genus Achillea (Yarrow)is one of the most important medicinal plants. Nowadays, different medicinal functions of yarrow such as spasmolytic, choleretic, treatment of wounds and anti-inflammatory activities, make it as an important medicinal plant. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity of aqueous (AAE) and methanol (AME) extracts from the plant Achillea santolinoides L. (A. santolinoides L.) aerial parts in vitro. Quantitative evaluation of polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, aluminum chloride (AlCl3) and Bate Smith methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity was carried out using ABTS radical scavenging, alkaline DMSO superoxide radical scavenging and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The obtained results showed that the highest content in total phenolic, flavonoids and tannins was found in the AME with values of 210.78±0.001 µg GAE/mg Dw, 21.18±0.025 µg QE/mg DW and198.73±0.014µg TAE/mg DW, respectively. For the in vitro antioxidant activity, AME had the strongest ABTS and DMSO alkaline radical scavenging activity (IC50= 6.74±0.16 µg/mL and 15.13±0.92 µg/mL, respectively) and the CUPRAC reducing with A0.50 of 76.56±2.35 µg/mL. The results of the present study confirm the use of the genus Achillea in the treatment of various diseases as a powerful antioxidant.

Phlomis crinita is a plant species of the family Lamiaceae including more than 100 perennial herbs, shrubs, and sub-shrubs species native to the Mediterranean, Central Asia, and India. This species is commonly a good natural source of various secondary metabolites. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine phenolic content and antioxidant activity of hydromethanolic (PC ME) and aqueous extracts (PC AQE) of aerial parts of P. crinita. Total polyphenols, flavonoids and tannins were quantified, respectively by the methods of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) and Bate-Smith method. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH and ABTS•+ radical scavenging, β-carotene-linoleic acid, reducing power and ferrous ion chelating activity assays. PC ME showed high level of tannins (132,13 ±0.68 µg TAE/mg extract) and total phenolic content (82.71±0.79 µg GAE/mg extract), in addition a marked inhibiting oxidation activity of β-carotene/ linoleic acid (74.10%) was observed. Results showed also a higher iron-chelating activity of PC ME (0.20 mg/mL) compared to PC AQE (0.046 mg/mL). The plant extracts revealed a significant antioxidant activity as evidenced by the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.103 mg/mL for PC ME and 0.144 mg/mL for PC AQE) for DPPH assay and (IC50 = 0.0130 mg/mL for PC ME and 0.0187 mg/mL for PC AQE) , as well as the PC ME exhibits higher reducing power (IC50 =0.288mg/mL) than PC AQE (0.296 mg/mL). As a result, P.crinita is suggested as a promising and effective therapeutic medicinal plant for the treatment of several diseases.

Foeniculum vulgare Mill, known as fennel, is a medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family, widely used in traditional Algerian medicine. The aim of this study was to estimate the polyphenols and flavonoids content and to evaluate the antioxidant, the analgesic and the antiulcer activities of aqueous extract of F. vulgare seeds. Quantitative determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids revealed that this extract contained 551.45±0.010 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of dry extract and 284.83±0.008 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dry extract respectively. The study of the gastroprotective effect showed that this extract is able to protect the stomach against lesions induced by 70% ethanol. The percentages of protection were 55.54±6.99 and 71±3.09% for the 200 and 400 mg/kg doses respectively. The study of the analgesic activity indicated that the aqueous extract of F. vulgare reduced the pain induced by acetic acid (0.6%) with an inhibition rate of 47.89% and 68.65% for doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively. Free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and iron chelation tests were applied to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity. The free radical scavenging activity of F. vulgare extract against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals revealed an IC50 value of IC50=30.91±0.49 mg/mL in comparison with gallic acid (0.038±0.0002 mg/mL). The iron chelating test showed that the extract had a high capacity for iron chelating, which was estimated at 0.346±0.003 mg/mL in comparison with the chelating reference agent, ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid.

Oxidative stress resulted from free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with many diseases. Phytotherapy has known a great evolution all the world and some medicinal plants are important remedies of some diseases. Myrtle (Mrytus communis L.) is a plant of Myrtaceae family which is common in the Mediterranean region, with flowering, always green leaves and fruit. This study aims to investigate in vitro antioxidant capacity of Myrtus communis berries methanol extract and its three fractions using five assays: ABTS scavenging radicals, metal chelating, hydrogen peroxide and inhibition of lipid peroxidation assays. EAE extract possessed the highest antioxidant activity in ABTS (EAE (IC50=2.5 µg/ml ) and lipid peroxidation models (90.17%). Whereas, AqE is the most active extract in metal chelating activity (IC50=0.73±0.03 mg/ml) and H2O2 assay. These results support the traditional use of this plant in healthcare and it could be a new source of antioxidant natural drugs.

Free radicals or highly reactive oxygen species are capable of inducing oxidative damage to the human body Plants containing phenolic compounds have potent antioxidant capacity. The present study was undertaken to investigate the in vitro antioxidant activities of Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), a plant widely used as natural remedy for digestive disorders in folk medicine. Total polyphenol contents were determined using Folin Ciocalteu's reagent; flavonoids were quantified employing the AlCl3 Method. EAE extract showed the highest polyphenolic and flavonoids contents (358.37±2.28 GAE/g of dry extract and 105.44±3.48 QE/g of dry extract) respectively. The EAE had the highest antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. EAE and ME extracts exhibited the highest reducing power. EAE possess an IC50 close to BHT (0.074 mg/ml) as reference drug All extracts exhibited antioxidant activity in the linoleic acid emulsion system (76.81% -86.93 %). EAE showed an inhibition ratio of (86.93 %) close to that of BHT (94.9±1.52 %). These findings provide evidence that Myrtus communis L. berries are a potential source of antioxidant which have many benefits towards human health.

Thymelaea hirsuta (L.) Endl. , known as ‘Methnane’ in Algeria, is a widely medicinal plant used in folk medicine. In the present study, In vitro antioxidant activity of T. hirsta extracts and the impact of extraction solvent polarity on the antioxidant potential were investigated. Three types of polar solvents with decreasing polarity were chosen; water for decocted extract, methanol-water at 50% and absolute methanol for macerated extracts. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated and showed a high amount wihch decreases with increasing polarity. Antioxydant activity was assessed with different methods: ABTS assay for evaluation of scavenge activity, CUPRAC and reducing power for assessement of the reduction potential of T. hirsuta areal parts. The results showed that T. hirsuta areal parts exhibited a strong scavenging activity with significant difference between extracts in terms of their polarity. In the same line, the most polar aqueous decocted extract exhibited a considerable reducing activity followed by hydromethanolic and methanolic extract with increasing potential. These findings suggest the suitability of polar solvents for the extraction of phytochemical compounds from T. hirsuta areal parts and so, their antioxidant activity against several radicals and ions.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the aqueous extract of Angelica archangelica L., a medicinal plant of the traditional pharmacopoeia of Algeria. The aqueous extract showed a large amount of total polyphenols, tannins, chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids and a small amount of flavonoids with values of 80.16±14.3 mg EAG/g of extract, 3.12±2.01 mg EQ/g of extract, 226.10±4.50 mg EAT/g of extract, 6.10±50.62, 12.00±31.53 and 1.78±0.40 μg/mL respectively. In addition, the aqueous extract of A. archangelica showed a high ability to trap DPPH radical in with IC50 at 16.9±2.03μg/mL. However, the aqueous extract has a great protective effect against β-carotene degradation at 91.98±0.64% after 24 hours and significant ferrous ion chelation activity at46.2 ±1.53µg/mL. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity was studied according to the protein denaturation inhibition method and, according to the results obtained, the extract of A. archangelica at concentrations of 250, 500 μg/mL and 1 mg/mL have ahigh antiinflammatory activity whose inhibition percentages are 78.85±5.31%, 86.65±2.70% and 89.89±0.58% respectively. The analgesic effect of the aqueous extract of A. archangelica, showed that the concentration 400 mg/mL has a greet abdominal cramps inhibitory effect in comparison with the concentration 200 mg/mL with a percentage of 98.28%. The antiulcer effect of the aqueous extract of A. archangelica was evaluated by the 70% ethanol-induced ulcer test. The results obtained reveal that the aqueous extract 200 and 400 mg/mL exerted a considerable effect of protecting the stomach at 86.55±3.51% and 82.82±2.18% respectively.