Phytochemical Characterization, In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Diabetic, and Cytotoxic Activities of the Edible Aromatic Plant; Pulicaria jaubertii .

Pulicaria jaubertii is a medicinal herb that alleviates inflammations and fever. Chromatographic separation, phytochemical characterization, and in vitro biological activities of the plant n -hexane extract were conducted for the first time in this study. Six compounds were isolated for the first time from the n -hexane fraction of Pulicaria jaubertii aerial parts and were identified on the bases of NMR and MS analyses as pseudo-taraxaterol ( 1 ), pseudo-taraxasterol acetate ( 2 ), 3β-acetoxytaraxaster-20-en-30-aldehyde ( 3 ), calenduladiol-3- O -palmitate ( 4 ), stigmasterol ( 5 ), and α-tocospiro B ( 6 ). Compound ( 6 ) was a rare tocopherol-related compound and was isolated for the first time from family Asteraceae, while compound ( 3 ) was isolated for the first time from genus Pulicaria . The total alcoholic extract and n -hexane fraction were tested for their anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic activities. The n -hexane fraction has dose dependent red blood cells (RBCs) membrane stabilization and inhibition of histamine release activities with IC ₅₀ : 60.8 and 72.9 µg/mL, respectively. As antidiabetic activity, the alcoholic extract exerted the most inhibition on the activity of yeast α-glucosidase, with an IC ₅₀ : 76.8 µg/mL. The n -hexane fraction showed cytotoxic activity against hepatocarcinoma (HepG-2), breast carcinoma (MCF-7), and prostate carcinoma (PC-3) cell lines with IC ₅₀ : 51.8, 90.8 and 62.2 µg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory effect of Pulicaria jaubertii might be attributed to the triterpenoid constituents of the n -hexane extract of the plant.