Detailed chemical composition and functional properties of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cross. & Dur. and Moringa oleifera Lamarck

Abstract

Edible Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cross. & Dur. and Moringa oleifera Lamarck are largely used in the Algerian Sahara. In this context, soluble sugars, fatty acids, organic acids, and tocopherols were characterized. Decoctions and hydroethanolic extracts were studied regarding their phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, and invitro cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities were evaluated. Results indicate high contents of carbohydrates (glucose and sucrose) and significant levels of protein and mineral were recorded for both plants. Malic acid was the major organic acid alongside with α-tocopherol, while PUFA was predominant in M. oleifera and MUFA in A. leucotrichus. Flavonoid derivatives were the most abundant group, being luteolin-O-(malonylglucoside) the main compound in A. leucotrichus and quercetin-3-O-(6″-malonyl-glucoside) and 3-O-caffeoylquininc acid the major molecules in M. oleifera. Extracts exhibited significant cytotoxicity on Hela and MCF-7 cell lines. The anti-inflammatory activity was also higher in the hydroethanolic extracts, which also revealed the highest antibacterial effects, especially for Gram-positive bacteria. leucotrichus Coss. & Dur. (Apiaceae) is an endemic plant in North Africa and is widely used in traditional medicine, especially in the southern Algerian Sahara and Tassili regions (Louail et al., 2016). Leaves and seeds of this plant are consumed in the form of infusions and/or decoctions for several therapeutic cases, such as liver and digestive system ailments, gastroenteritis, diabetes, as also for blood pressure and chest pain (Halla, Boucherit, Boucherit-otmani, Zohra, & Rahmani, 2018; Louail et al., 2016). The fruits are often used as a spice during culinary preparation, and leaves are used as a flavoring herbal in teas (Halla et al., 2018; Louail et al., 2016). Nevertheless, most phytochemical and biological studies on A. leucotrichus are related to the volatile compounds from the essential oils (Gherraf et al., 2017; Halla et al., 2018), and few scientific studies have been conducted towards the phenolic compounds and their functional properties. According to a recent study conducted by Halla, Heleno, Costa, Fernandes, Calhelha, Boucherit, Rodrigues, Ferreira, and Barreiro (2018) using colorimetric reactions, flavonoids, condensed and hydrolysable tannins, coumarins, alkaloids, and terpenoids were found in the Algerian A. leucotrichus aqueous extract obtained by decoction and in the hydromethanolic extract. El Haci, Mazari, Gherib, and Atik Bekkara (2018) reported moderate

Medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ammodaucus leucotrichus

“…The hydroethanolic extract and aqueous decoction from the aerial parts of Ammodaucus leucotrichus were moderately active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Both extracts obtained from the plant had no effect on Proteus mirabilis and very low effect on Klebsiella pneumoniae, even at the highest concentration tested (20 mg/mL) [14].…”

“…The GI50 values for the hydroethanolic extract were in general lower than the ones exhibited by decoction extracts, showing a significant dose dependent cytotoxic effect. The cell lines MCF-7, HeLa, and NCI-H460 were the most susceptible for the hydroethanolic extract of Ammodaucus leucotrichus [14].…”

“…In the southern Algerian Sahara, the leaves of this plant are used as a flavoring herbal in teas and fruits are often used as a spice during culinary preparation. The leaves and seeds are consumed in the form of decoction or infusion for several therapeutic cases, such as blood pressure, chest pain, liver and digestive system ailments, gastroenteritis, as also for diabetes [14]. In Tassili (Algeria), the fruits and the leaves are commonly consumed in infusion.…”

“…In another Study, Ziani et al [14] assessed anti-inflammatory property of hydroethanolic extract from the aerial parts of Ammodaucus leucotrichus through the determination of the concentration of nitrite NO produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages RAW 264.7 cell lines in culture medium, treated with different concentrations of the plant extracts. The plant extracts, effectively reduced the expression of ant-inflammatory enzymes iNOS in LPS-activated murine macrophages, and this reduction was accompanied by the decrease of the nitric oxide (NO) levels [14].…”

“…Ziani et al [14] evaluated cytotoxicity activities of aqueous decoction and aerial parts hydroethanolic extracts of Ammodaucus leucotrichus. The inhibitory growth activity of four human tumor cell lines: NCI-H460 (nonsmall cell lung cancer), HeLa (cervical carcinoma), HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast carcinoma), was determined by the sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay.…”