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Background: Anthemis palestina (Asteraceae) extends across the Mediterranean region, southwest Asia and eastern Africa. Although traditionally used for several applications, in vitro investigation of biological functions associated with Anthemis palestina essential oil had never been reported., Methods: The air-dried flowers of Anthemis palestina were subjected to hydrodistillation to yield the oil. The antioxidant activity of the hydrodistilled oil was characterized using various in vitro model systems such as DPPH, ferric-reducing antioxidant power and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Antibacterial activity was tested against six bacterial species, representing both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Antifungal activity was evaluated using three Candida species. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for each examined microorganism was determined using the microdilution method. The oil's antiproliferative effects against eight human cancer cell lines were also studied and the lethal doses that resulted in 50% reduction of cell viability (LD50) were determined., Results: The results indicate that the essential oil of Anthemis palestina exhibited substantial antioxidant activities as demonstrated with DPPH, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. In addition, a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of the oil was revealed with better susceptibility of Gram positive bacteria towards the oil. The MIC values ranged between 6-75 μg/ml. Besides, the oil demonstrated a moderate inhibitory effect on the three Candida species examined; with MIC values ranging between 48-95 μg/ml. Potent cytotoxic activities, especially against HeLa cell line; with LD50 of 32 μg/ml, BJAB cell line; with LD50 of 57 μg/ml, and Caco-2 cell line; with LD50 of 61 μg/ml, were observed., Conclusion: The results obtained indicate high potential of Anthemis palestina essential oil as bioactive oil, for nutraceutical and medical applications, possessing antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities.

Context: Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a key enzyme in the pathophysiological homeostasis of hyperuricemia. It catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and then to uric acid, the reaction involves the formation of free radical intermediates and superoxide byproducts. Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidant, antihyperuricemic, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory potentials of Hyoscyamus reticulatus L. (Solanaceae) extract. Materials and methods: The antioxidant potency was measured using the ABTS•+ scavenging capacity system, which includes Trolox as a standard. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the extract was quantitated in vitro by measuring the decline in the catalytic rate of xanthine oxidase following incubations with the plant extracts and using xanthine as a substrate. The hypouricemic potential of the extract was evaluated using an in vivo model for hyperuricemia. We tested three different doses of the extract and allopurinol was used as standard antihyperuricemic positive control. Results: H. reticulatus aqueous extract exhibited significant antioxidant scavenging properties (533.26 μmol TE/g dry extract weight) and inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase activity (IC50 12.8 μg/mL). Furthermore, oral administration of the aqueous extract significantly reduced serum urate levels in oxonate-induced hyperuricemic mice in a dose-dependent manner. Discussion and conclusion: Our results suggest that the aqueous extract of H. reticulatus aerial parts might have great potential as an antioxidant and a hypouricemic agent. Our lab is currently identifying the active compounds in the extract to which the biological activities could be attributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently an upsurge of interest in phytochemicals as new sources of natural antioxidants. The aim is to use them in foods and pharmaceutical preparations in order to replace synthetic antioxidants, which are being restricted due to their potential health risks and toxicity. The relative levels of antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content of aqueous and methanolic extracts of a total of 51 plant species of Jordanian origin have been determined using the improved ABTS•+ method and the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric method. The total phenolic content of aqueous and methanolic extracts of the investigated plant species ranged from 2.8 to 70.3 and from 2.6 to 59.6 mg GAE/g dry weight, respectively, while the total antioxidant capacity ranged from 12.9 to 731 and from 10.1 to 720 μmol TE/g dry weight, respectively. Based on our results, a number of plant species, namely, Arbutus andrachne, Hypericum triquetrifolium and Rosmarinus officinalis, were identified as among the best sources of free radical-scavenging compounds. There was positive linear correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content for aqueous and methanolic extracts. Thus, it was concluded that phenolic compounds were the predominant antioxidant components in the investigated plant species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As part of an International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) program to study Jordan's biodiversity, the relative levels of antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content of aqueous and methanolic extracts of a total of 95 plant species, all of Jordanian origin and those collected at random, have been measured. The total phenolic content of aqueous and methanolic extracts of the investigated plant species ranged from 4.4 to 78.3 mg and from 2.1 to 52.8 mg gallic acid equivalents g-1 dry weight, respectively, while the total antioxidant capacity ranged from 20.0 to 916.7 and from 15.1 to 915.6 μmol Trolox equivalents g-1 dry weight, respectively. Based on this collection, approximately 5% of assayed plants showed high levels of antioxidant activity. There was a significant linear correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content for aqueous and methanolic extracts, suggesting that phenolic compounds were the predominant antioxidant components in the investigated plant species. Interestingly, a few of the collected plants had high-antioxidant activity yet "low" phenolic content includes Ceratonia siliqua and Viscum cruciatum. These plants may serve as sources of antioxidants with new chemotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]