Antinociceptive and anthelmintic activity of Canna indica

Dried, coarsely powdered leaves, flowers, rhizomes and seeds of Canna indica were successively extracted with benzene and methanol in Soxhlet apparatus. The effect of benzene and methanol extracts of various parts of C. indica on nociceptive response using writhing test and hot plate method in mice was examined. All the extracts of C. indica showed significant central and peripheral analgesic activity in hot plate method and acetic acid-induced writhing test, respectively, at the dose of 50 mg kg(-1) intraperitoneally. Methanolic extract of leaves of C. indica showed highest increase in reaction time in hot plate method while benzene extract of leaves of C. indica showed more inhibitory effect on writhing induced by acetic acid. Anthelmintic activity of these extracts was evaluated on Pheritima posthuma. Results showed that the methanolic extract of rhizomes of the plant took less time to cause paralysis of the earthworms.     

Antiliperoxidant activity of pomegranate peel extracts on lard

Phenolics were extracted from powdered pomegranate peel using water, methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate (EtOAc), respectively. The antiliperoxidant activity of the extracts on lard was studied by peroxide value method. All the extracts showed enhanced inhibitory effect on lard peroxidation with the increase of phenolic concentrations. Acetone extract exhibited the highest antiliperoxidant activity followed by water, methanol and EtOAc extracts. Acetone extract at 0.1% (w/w) and water extract at 0.2% (w/w) demonstrated an antiliperoxidant effect close to that of tea polyphenols (0.02%, w/w) and higher than that of BHT (0.02%, w/w). At 0.2% (w/w), acetone extract showed a higher inhibitory activity on lard oxidation than that of tea polyphenols and BHT. Owing to the high antiliperoxidant property, acetone extract may have possible application in the food industry.     

In-vitro antagonistic characteristics of crude aqueous and methanolic extracts of Garcinia kola (Heckel) seeds against some Vibrio bacteria

The methanolic and aqueous extracts of Garcinia kola seeds were screened for their anti-Vibrio activities against 50 Vibrio isolates obtained from wastewater final effluents in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The crude extracts at 10 mg/mL exhibited appreciable inhibitory activities against most of the test Vibrio isolates, with zones of inhibition ranging from 10-19 mm for methanol extract and 8-15 mm for the aqueous extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the methanol extract varied from 0.313 to 2.5 mg/mL while that for the aqueous extract was 10 mg/mL for all the susceptible Vibrio isolates. Rate of kill assay of the methanolic extracts against three selected Vibrio species showed bacteriostatic activities against all of them achieving 58% and 60% (Vibrio vulnificus AL042); 68% and 69% (Vibrio parahaemolyticus AL049); and 70% and 78% (Vibrio fluvialis AL040) killing of the test bacteria at 3× and 4 ×MIC values, respectively, after 2 h exposure time. We conclude that Garcinia kola seeds hold promise as a potential source of therapeutic compounds of relevance in Vibrio infections management.     

Antioxidant, diuretic activities and polyphenol content of Stereospermum kunthianum Cham. (Bignoniaceae)

Stereospermum kunthianum was used for biological and phytochemical investigations. In biological studies, antioxidant activities were investigated with water, methanol and aqueous acetone extracts. Furthermore, the xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and the diuretic activity of an aqueous acetone extract were evaluated. In the phytochemical investigations, the flavonoids and polyphenols were quantified spectrophotometrically in all extracts followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis of an aqueous acetone extract. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) methods have shown that the aqueous acetone extract presents the best antioxidant activities. This aqueous acetone extract was further proven to have interesting xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, but only a weak diuretic activity. This aqueous acetone extract also possessed the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents. HPLC-MS analysis allowed identifying and quantifying, rutin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, hyperoside, quercitrin and luteolin and the glycosides of ferulic, sinapic p-coumaric acids and kaempferol, apigenin in aqueous-acetone extract.     

Phytochemical analysis,antimicrobial, antioxidant and urease inhibitory potential of Cyphostemma digitatum Lam.

In this paper we report the antimicrobial, antiradical and urease inhibitory potential along with photochemical investigation of the crude extracts of Cyphostemma digitatum Lam. Phytochemical screening of both the crude (hot/cold) alcoholic and aqueous extracts of C. digitatum showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, coumarins, steroids, terpenoids and tannins. The crude methanolic extract (hot/cold) exhibited good antioxidant activity, while the aqueous extract was a weak antioxidant. The crude methanolic extract was found to be more active against Bacillus subtilis, while both the extracts showed moderate antifungal potential, the methanolic crude extract showed good urease inhibitory activity compared with the aqueous crude extract.     

Antioxidant and antifungal activity of different extracts obtained from aerial parts of Inula crithmoides L.

The total phenolic content, antioxidant and antifungal activities of three Inula crithmoides extracts (n-hexane, methylene chloride and MeOH) were investigated. The methanolic extract showed the highest total phenolic content. In the DPPH assay, the methanolic and hexane extracts exhibited the highest DPPH-radical scavenging activity; in the 5-lipoxygenase assay, the hexane extract showed greater inhibitory effect with an IC₅₀ similar to that of Trolox and ascorbic acid. The antifungal activity of the methanolic extract revealed a higher activity against Phytophtora cryptogea and Alternaria solani.     

In vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts and compounds isolated from Cladonia uncialis

Heptane (Hep), diethyl ether (Et₂O), acetone (Me₂CO) and methanolic (MeOH) extracts, as well as ( ? )-usnic acid and squamatic acid, were obtained from thallus of Cladonia uncialis (Cladoniaceae). The antimicrobial activities of these extracts, ( ? )-usnic acid and squamatic acid, were tested against reference strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. In addition, Me₂CO extract was analysed against 10 strains of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from patients. All extracts exerted antibacterial activity against the reference strain S. aureus, comparably to chloramphenicol [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 5.0 μg/mL]. The Me₂CO extract exhibited the strongest activity against S. aureus (MIC = 0.5 μg/mL), higher than ( ? )-usnic acid, whereas squamatic acid proved inactive. The Me₂CO extract showed potent antimicrobial activity against MRSA (MIC 2.5–7.5 μg/mL). Also no activity of C. uncialis extracts against E. coli and C. albicans was observed.     

Phytochemical analysis,UPLC-ESI-Orbitrap-MS analysis,biological activity,and toxicity of extracts from Tripleurospermum limosum (Maxim.) Pobed

Tripleurospermum limosum (TL) has been used in folk medicine to treat gastritis. Toward the further development and use of TL, we report the phytochemical profiling, determination of active components, and antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities of TL. Nineteen compounds were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-orbitrap-mass spectrometry for the first time in this plant. Phytochemical studies indicated that TL contained 11 types of phytochemicals. The active components [total carbohydrate content (TCC), total protein content (TP_roC), total triterpenoid content (TTC), total phenolic content (TP_heC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic acid content (TPAC), condensed tannin content (CTC), and gallotannin content (GC)] of eight different solvent extracts were determined by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. Aqueous extract had highest TP_roC, TP_heC, and GC values. Methanol extract exhibited highest TCC and TFC values. Ethanol extract showed highest TPAC and CTC values and dichloromethane extract exhibited highest TTC value. Methanol extract showed strongest ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt cation radicals, and hydroxyl radicals, and also exhibited highest antioxidant activity in ferric-reducing antioxidant power and cupric ion-reducing antioxidant capacity assays. Best iron and copper chelating activity and H₂O₂ scavenging ability were shown by aqueous extract. Ethanol extract showed strongest ability to scavenge superoxide radicals and effectively prevent β-carotene bleaching. Acetone extract had highest inhibitory activity toward α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and xanthine oxidase. Ethyl ether extract had highest inhibitory activity towards urease and angiotensin converting enzyme. Aqueous and ethanol extracts had strongest inhibitory activity toward acetylcholinesterase. Methanol extract showed highest inhibitory activity toward tyrosinase. Methanol extract showed good stability and antioxidant capacity during heating, at different pH values, and after in vitro digestion and had low toxicity. The efficacy of methanol extract in stabilizing olive and sunflower oils was studied, the results suggested that methanol extract had a protective effect on the primary oxidation of the two oils. TL may be useful as a source of active components for application in human nutrition and/or phytomedicine and methanol extract of TL could be used as a natural oil stabiliser.     

Comparison of Phytochemical Contents,Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Various Solvent Extracts Obtained from ‘Maluma’ Avocado Pulp Powder

Although avocado is a superfood rich in phytochemicals with high antioxidant activities, studies on the antibacterial properties of its pulp are limited, except for seed and peel portions. In this study, three types of solvent (acetone, methanol, and diethyl ether) were used to obtain the extracts from “Maluma” avocado pulp powder prepared by infrared drying. The extracts were analyzed for total polyphenols, phytopigments (total chlorophylls and carotenoids), antioxidant activities (ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assays), and antibacterial activities against seven pathogens (Shigella sonnei ATCC 9290, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhi ATCC 6539, Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 25933, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778). The results showed that the acetone solvent could extract the highest polyphenols and chlorophylls with the highest antioxidant activity in terms of ABTS and DPPH assays. In contrast, diethyl ether exhibited the most significant content of carotenoids and FRAP values. However, the methanol extract was the best solvent, exerting the strongest antibacterial and meaningful antioxidant activities. For the bacterial activities, Gram-positive pathogens (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) were inhibited more efficiently by avocado extracts than Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, the extracts from avocado powder showed great potential for applications in food processing and preservation, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.     

Evaluation of in vivo and in vitro biological activities of different extracts of Cuscuta arvensis

In the present study, the potential effects of extracts from the whole plant of Cuscuta arvensis were studied in mice using the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity and the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex for the assessment of antinociceptive activity. In order to obtain the extracts, the whole plant of C. arvensis was extracted with different solvents such as n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The methanolic and water extracts inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema and p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex, whereas the other extracts showed only mild inhibitory antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities in these in vivo models. Additionally, the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts had higher scavenging ability then the non polar extracts.     

Polarity Directed Appraisal of Pharmacological Potential and HPLC-DAD Based Phytochemical Profiling of Polygonum glabrum Willd

The present study was designed to evaluate polarity-dependent extraction efficiency and pharmacological profiling of Polygonum glabrum Willd. Crude extracts of leaves, roots, stems, and seeds, prepared from solvents of varying polarities, were subjected to phytochemical, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, and cytotoxicity assays. Maximum extraction yield (20.0% w/w) was observed in the case of an acetone:methanol (AC:M) root extract. Distilled water:methanol (W:M) leaves extract showed maximum phenolic contents. Maximum flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential were found in methanolic (M) seed extract. HPLC-DAD quantification displayed the manifestation of substantial quantities of quercetin, rutin, gallic acid, quercetin, catechin, and kaempferol in various extracts. The highest ascorbic acid equivalent total antioxidant capacity and reducing power potential was found in distilled water roots and W:M leaf extracts, respectively. Chloroform (C) seeds extract produced a maximum zone of inhibition against Salmonella typhimurium. Promising protein kinase inhibition and antifungal activity against Mucor sp. were demonstrated by C leaf extract. AC:M leaves extract exhibited significant cytotoxic capability against brine shrimp larvae and α-amylase inhibition. Present results suggest that the nature of pharmacological responses depends upon the polarity of extraction solvents and parts of the plant used. P. glabrum can be considered as a potential candidate for the isolation of bioactive compounds with profound therapeutic importance.     

Antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes and phenolics of different solvent extracts from leaves, flowers and bark of Gold Mohar [Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf

This paper describes the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and phenolic components of different solvent (absolute methanol, absolute ethanol, absolute acetone, 80% methanol, 80% ethanol, 80% acetone and deionized water) extracts of leaves, flowers and bark of Gold Mohar [Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf.]. The extract yields from leaves, flowers and bark ranged from 10.19 to 36.24, 12.97 to 48.47 and 4.22 to 8.48 g/100 g dry weight (DW), respectively. Overall, 80% methanol extract produced from the leaves exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) higher antioxidant activity, with high phenolic contents (3.63 g GAE/100 g DW), total flavonoid contents (1.19 g CE/100 g DW), inhibition of peroxidation (85.54%), DPPH scavenging capacity (IC(50) value 8.89 μg/mL) and reducing power (1.87). Similarly, this 80% methanol leaves extract also showed superior antimicrobial activity. HPLC analysis of the 80% methanol extracts for individual phenolics revealed the presence of gallic, protocatechuic and salicylic acid in leaves; gallic, protocatechuic, salicylic, trans-cinnamic and chlorogenic acid in flowers, and gallic acid in bark as the main (amount > 1.50 mg/100 g DW) phenolic acids. Besides, small amounts ( < 1.50 mg/100 g DW) of some other phenolic acids such as sorbic, sinapic, p-coumaric, m-coumaric, ferulic, caffeic, 3-hydroxybenzoic, 4-hydroxycinnamic and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids were also detected. The extracts of the tested parts of Gold Mohar, especially, the leaves, might be valuable for functional food and therapeutic applications.     

Antioxidant, antimicrobial properties and phenolics of different solvent extracts from bark, leaves and seeds of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre

This study appraises the antioxidant and antimicrobial attributes of various solvent extracts (absolute methanol, aqueous methanol, absolute ethanol, aqueous ethanol, absolute acetone, aqueous acetone, and deionized water) from bark, leaves and seeds of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre. Maximum extraction yield of antioxidant components from bark (16.31%), leaves (11.42%) and seeds (21.51%) of P. pinnata was obtained using aqueous methanol (20:80). Of the extracts tested, the bark extract, obtained with aqueous methanol, exhibited greater levels of total phenolics [6.94 g GAE/100 g dry weight (DW)], total flavonoids (3.44 g CE/100 g DW), inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation (69.23%) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC(50) value, 3.21 μg/mL), followed by leaves and seeds extracts. Bark extract tested against a set of bacterial and fungal strains also revealed the strongest antimicrobial activity with the largest inhibition zone and lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). HPLC analysis of aqueous methanol extracts from bark, leaves and seeds indicated the presence of protocatechuic, ellagic, ferulic, gallic, gentisic, 4-hydroxybenzoic and 4-hydroxycinnamic acids in bark (1.50-6.70 mg/100 g DW); sorbic, ferulic, gallic, salicylic and p-coumaric acids in leaves (1.18-4.71 mg/100 g DW); vanillic, gallic and tannic acids in seeds (0.52-0.65 mg/100 g DW) as the main phenolic acids. The present investigation concludes that the tested parts of P. pinnata, in particular the bark, have strong potential for the isolation of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for functional food and pharmaceutical uses.     

HPLC profiling of phenolics and flavonoids of Adonidia merrillii fruits and their antioxidant and cytotoxic properties

In this study the antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity of the Adonidia merrillii fruits were investigated using different solvent polarities (methanol, ethyl acetate and water). The results showed that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extract was higher compare with other extract with respective values of 17.80 ± 0.45 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW) and 5.43 ± 0.33 mg rutin equivalents/g DW. Beside that The RP-HPLC analyses indicated the presence of gallic acid, pyrogallol, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, naringin and rutin. In the DPPH, NO2 and ABTS scavenging assays, the methanolic extract exhibited higher antioxidant activity as compared to the ethyl acetate and water extracts. The extracts exhibited moderate to weak cytotoxic activity in the assays using human hepatocytes (Chang liver cells) and NIH/3T3 (fibroblasts cell) cell lines. The findings showed the Adonidia merrillii fruit extracts to possess considerable antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties. The fruit, therefore, is a potential candidate for further work to discover antioxidant and cytotoxic drugs from natural sources.     

In Vitro Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Effects of Different Extracts of Catharanthus roseus and Its Indole Alkaloid,Vindoline

The Catharanthus roseus plant has been used traditionally to treat diabetes mellitus. Scientific evidence supporting the antidiabetic effects of this plant’s active ingredient-vindoline has not been fully evaluated. In this study, extracts of C. roseus and vindoline were tested for antioxidant activities, alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory activities and insulin secretory effects in pancreatic RIN-5F cell line cultured in the absence of glucose, at low and high glucose concentrations. The methanolic extract of the plant showed the highest antioxidant activities in addition to the high total polyphenolic content (p < 0.05). The HPLC results exhibited increased concentration of vindoline in the dichloromethane and the ethylacetate extracts. Vindoline showed noticeable antioxidant activity when compared to ascorbic acid at p < 0.05 and significantly improved the in vitro insulin secretion. The intracellular reactive oxygen species formation in glucotoxicity-induced cells was significantly reduced following treatment with vindoline, methanolic and the dichloromethane extracts when compared to the high glucose untreated control (p < 0.05). Plant extracts and vindoline showed weaker inhibitory effects on the activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes when compared to acarbose, which inhibited the activities of the enzymes by 80%. The plant extracts also exhibited weak alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory effects.     

Estimation of cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant effects of the leaf extracts of Anatolian Ficus carica var. domestica and their total phenol and flavonoid contents

Ficus carica var. domestica Tsch. & Rav. (common fig) is widely grown in Turkey and exported for its edible fruits. In this study, the n-hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol, n-butanol, and water extracts of the leaves of F. carica var. domestica were screened for their cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. Cholinesterase inhibition against acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was measured by the spectrophotometric method of Ellman at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 microg/mL., while antioxidant activity was tested using three in vitro methods; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, metal-chelation capacity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Our results revealed that the n-hexane and acetone extracts exerted a notable inhibition against both AChE (62.9 +/- 0.9% and 50.8 +/- 2.1%, respectively) and BChE (76.9 +/- 2.2% and 45.6 +/- 1.3%, respectively). However, they had low activity in the antioxidant tests. The chloroform extract was found to be the richest in total flavonoid content (252.5 +/- 1.1 mg/g quercetin equivalent), while the n-butanol extract had the highest total phenol amount (85.9 +/- 3.2 mg/g extract gallic acid equivalent).     

Inhibition of Pro-inflammatory Secreted Phospholipase A2 by Extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynara cardunculus L</Emphasis>.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of Cynara cardunculus L. (Asteraceae) during its growth using various solvents such as n-hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, and methanol for air-dried leaves and stems. The anti-inflammatory activities of crude extracts were evaluated by measuring the inhibition potency of mammalian non-pancreatic phospholipases A2 (hG-IIA). The methanol and acetone extracts of leaves harvested in February exhibit potent inhibition of hG-IIA (IC₅₀ = 50 and 70 μg/ml, respectively). However, the acetone extract of stems harvested in December inhibits the hG-IIA with a lower IC₅₀ around 130 μg/ml. Fractionation on silica gel and hydrophobic gel of the methanol extract of leaves harvested in February increases the inhibitory effect, and the IC₅₀ reached 10 μg/ml.     

Effect of extraction conditions on measured total polyphenol contents and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of black tea

Black tea was extracted for 2, 8 and 18 h with absolute acetone, N,N-dimethyl-formamide (DMF), ethanol and methanol and their 50% aqueous solutions. The extracts were screened for total polyphenol contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The polyphenol content of the extracts was found to be in the range of 0.44-114.01 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight tea, depending on the solvent used and the length of the extraction process. In general, aqueous acetone or DMF extracts displayed the highest polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity, while absolute acetone was the least efficient solvent. Antioxidant activities of tea extracts tested using the reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical methods ranged from 0.09 to 1.18 and from 2.60 to 95.42 %, respectively, depending on the extraction conditions and the antioxidant activities correlated well with the polyphenol concentrations. Aqueous solvent black tea extracts also possessed antibacterial activity, depending on the solvent used and bacterial species tested. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most sensitive to all tea extracts, except for the methanol extract. Tea extracts were not effective against Y. enterocolitica, L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7.     

Characterization of the Phytochemical Profiles and Biological Activities of Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. chia var. chia and Ajuga bombycina by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MSn)

This study investigates into the pharmacological potential of three solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) of two Ajuga species (Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. chia var. chia and Ajuga bombycina) based on their antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory effects along with establishing the phytochemical profile. Spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–ESI–MSⁿ) were used to determine the total and individual phytocompounds, respectively. Antioxidant potential was assessed using different assays such as DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelation. Enzyme inhibitory effects were studied against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. The aqueous extract of both plants showed better ABTS scavenging, FRAP, and metal chelating activities. The methanol extracts displayed the highest tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant activity in the phosphomolybdenum assay while the ethyl acetate extracts of both plants showed better butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibition. The total phenolic content was highest in the aqueous extract of A. chamaepitys while the methanolic extract of A. bombycina showed the highest flavonoid content. Identification by HPLC–ESI–MSⁿ revealed the presence of some individual compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, and other compounds. To conclude, both A. chamaepitys and A. bombycina can be considered as rich sources of phytocompounds to manage chronic diseases.     

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Properties of Croton hirtus L’Hér. Extracts Obtained with Different Solvents

Croton hirtus L’Hér methanol extract was studied by NMR and two different LC-DAD-MSⁿ using electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources to obtain a quali-quantitative fingerprint. Forty different phytochemicals were identified, and twenty of them were quantified, whereas the main constituents were dihydro α ionol-O-[arabinosil(1-6) glucoside] (133 mg/g), dihydro β ionol-O-[arabinosil(1-6) glucoside] (80 mg/g), β-sitosterol (49 mg/g), and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (26 mg/g). C. hirtus was extracted with different solvents—namely, water, methanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate—and the extracts were assayed using different in vitro tests. The methanolic extracts presented the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values. All the tested extracts exhibited inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with a higher activity observed for dichloromethane (AChE: 5.03 and BChE: 16.41 mgGALAE/g), while the methanolic extract showed highest impact against tyrosinase (49.83 mgKAE/g). Taken together, these findings suggest C. hirtus as a novel source of bioactive phytochemicals with potential for commercial development.