Antioxidant Activity of Myrtus communis L. and Myrtus nivellei Batt. & Trab. Extracts: A Brief Review

Abstract

Myrtus communis L. (myrtle) and Myrtus nivellei Batt. & Trab. (Saharan myrtle) have been used in folk medicine for alleviating some ailments. M. communis is largely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin, whereas M. nivellei is confined in specific zones of the central Saharan mountains. The chemical composition and antioxidant activity of berry and leaf extracts isolated from myrtle are deeply documented, whereas those isolated from Saharan myrtle extracts are less studied. In both species, the major groups of constituents include gallic acid derivatives, flavonols, flavonol derivatives, and hydroxybenzoic acids. In coloured berries, anthocyanins are also present. In M. nivellei extracts are reported for some compounds not described in M. communis so far: 2-hydroxy-1,8-cineole-β-d-glucopyranoside, 2-hydroxy-1,8-cineole 2-O-α-l-arabinofuranosyl (1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside, rugosin A, and rugosin B. Berries and leaves extracts of both species had antioxidant activity. Comparative studies of the antioxidant activity between leaf and berry myrtle extracts revealed that leaf extracts are best antioxidants, which can be assigned to the galloyl derivatives, flavonols, and flavonols derivatives, although the ratio of these groups of compounds might also have an important role in the antioxidant activity. The anthocyanins present in myrtle berries seem to possess weak antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of sample extracts depended on various factors: harvesting time, storage, extraction solvent, extraction type, and plant part used, among other factors. Leaf extracts of myrtle revealed to possess anti-inflammatory activity in several models used. This property has been attributed either to the flavonoids and/or hydrolysable tannins, nevertheless nonprenylated acylphloroglucinols (e.g., myrtucommulone and semimyrtucommulone) have also revealed a remarkable role in that activity. The biological activities of myrtle extracts found so far may direct its use towards for stabilizing complex lipid systems, as prebiotic in food formulations, and as novel therapeutic for the management of inflammation.

Myrtus communisleaf extract protects against cerulein‐induced acute pancreatitis in rats

“…Both CL values significantly decreased with MC treatment, similar to recent reports (Hayder et al, 2004;Hennia et al, 2018).…”

“…On the contrary, similar to previous reports (Escobar et al, 2009;Sen et al, 2016Sen et al, , 2017, the study results showed that MC treatment exerted a notable reduction in lipid peroxidation and an increase in GSH levels. This can be explained by the fact that M. communis has a strong free radical scavenging capacity, as shown previously (Hayder et al, 2004;Hennia et al, 2018) and demonstrated in the present study.…”

“…Increasing MDA levels and decreasing GSH levels reflect tissue damage in AP (Guleken et al, 2017;Huang & Cao, 2014;Mirmalek et al, 2016). This can be explained by the fact that M. communis has a strong free radical scavenging capacity, as shown previously (Hayder et al, 2004;Hennia et al, 2018) and demonstrated in the present study. On the contrary, similar to previous reports (Escobar et al, 2009;Sen et al, 2016Sen et al, , 2017, the study results showed that MC treatment exerted a notable reduction in lipid peroxidation and an increase in GSH levels.…”

“…and digestive system disorders (Aykac et al, 2019;Hennia, Miguel, & Nemmiche, 2018;Jabri, Marzouki, & Sebai, 2018). Antioxidants or the anti-inflammatory properties of M. communis leaves have been reported in previous experimental studies, such as liver fibrosis (Sen et al, 2016), ear edema and granuloma (Maxia, Frau, Falconieri, Karchuli, & Kasture, 2011), mouse paw edema (Rossi et al, 2009), pulmonary fibrosis (Samareh-Fekri et al, 2018), and colonic inflammation in rats (Sen et al, 2017).…”

Unravelling Cellular Mechanisms of Stem Cell Senescence: An Aid from Natural Bioactive Molecules

“…Moreover, these small molecules can be used as an adjuvant treatment beside conventional therapy in cancer, due to their ability to reduce cancer Biology 2020, 9, 57 2 of 8 cell viability without affecting the proliferation of normal healthy cells [4][5][6]. Myrtus communis L. has a large amount of galloyl derivatives, as flavonols, and tannins in its berries, seeds and leaves, exerting important antioxidant and antimutagenic activities [7,8]. In the presence of an intense stressor, cells activate specific responses and mechanisms of repair, in order to counteract senescence or cell death [9,10].…”