Antioxidant, α-amylase inhibitory and brine-shrimp toxicity studies onCentaurea centauriumL. methanolic root extract

Abstract

Free radical scavenging activity of the methanolic extract of the roots of Centaurea centaurium L. (Asteraceae) and its phenolic, non-polar and water fractions was measured using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The phenolic fraction showed high radical-scavenging activity with DPPH (IC(50) of 57 microg mL(-1)) and potent antioxidant properties both on lipid peroxidation and beta-carotene bleaching (IC(50) of 195 and 5 microg mL(-1), respectively). The n-hexane fraction of the extract showed the highest inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase with an IC(50) of 158 microg mL(-1). In this fraction, the most abundant constituents were the fatty acids: 11,14-eicosadienoic acid methyl ester, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester and 9-octadecenoic acid. Various terpenes, e.g. cypirene, alpha-zingiberene, beta-farnesene, beta-santalene, beta-bisabolene, beta-himachalene and azulene were also present. The LC(50) against the brine shrimp nauplii for the methanolic extract was found to be 44.05 microg mL(-1), whilst LC(50) values for the polyphenolic, lipophilic and water fractions were found to be 157.44, 25.98 and 152.81 microg mL(-1), respectively.

α‐Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities of Fatty Acids Purified from the Internal Organ of Sea Cucumber Stichopus japonicas

“…A large quantity of the solute in the 80% MeOH extract was shifted over to BuOH (35%) and water (35%), but neither had any α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity at both 10 and 100 μg/mL. The similar result was reported by Conforti and others (), where the n‐hexane fraction of the methanolic extract of the roots of Centaurea centaurium L. (Asteraceae) showed the highest α‐amylase inhibitory activity compared to other fractions. Because the α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity of the n‐hexane fraction was highest, the major α‐glucosidase inhibitor of the sea cucumber internal organ was provisionally expected to be a nonpolar compound.…”

Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of a lyophilised aqueous extract of Centaurium erythraea in rodents

“…The decrease in blood glucose of normal rats confirms our previous finding that the plant extract acts as a hypoglycemic agent (unpublished results), and a recent report that chronic administration of an aqueous extract of the plant prevented the development of type 2 diabetes in mice (Hamza et al, 2010). The hypoglycemic activity of the CE-extract may be explained by the presence of ␣-amylase and ␣-glucosidase inhibitor activity in organic solvent extracts of the plant (Conforti et al, 2008;Loizzo et al, 2008), similar to that of the antidiabetic drug, acarbose, which acts by blocking the action of ␣-glucusidase in the gastrointestinal tract (Shimabukuro et al, 2006). The ␣-amylase inhibitor activity also explains the reported insecticidal effect of the CE-extract (Jbilou et al, 2008).…”

Commiphora myrrha Resin Alcoholic Extract Ameliorates High Fat Diet Induced Obesity via Regulation of UCP1 and Adiponectin Proteins Expression in Rats

“…The demonstrated hypolipidemic effect of CME in our study confirmed the findings of the previous studies, which found that administration of rats fed high fructose diet with Commiphora Mukul decreases lipid profiles and the atherogenic index [19] and Commiphora Molmol extract decreases lipid profile and atherogenic index in obese rats [21] The hypocholesteremic effect might due to the presence of hexadecanoic acid, 9 and 12-octadecenoic acids in CME (Table 3), which have been proven to have inhibit the activity of pancreatic lipase suppressing lipid digestion and thereby diminishing entry of lipids into the body [67]. In addition, CME contains germacrene B, sesquiterpene (Table 3), which have a hypolipidemic effect [68].…”