Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Antidiabetic Activities of Ajuga iva (L.)

Abstract

In Morocco, many applications in ethnomedicine on Ajuga iva (L.) have been recognized as able to treat various pathologies such as diabetes, stress, and microbial infections. The objective of this work is to carry out phytochemical, biological, and pharmacological investigations on the extracts of Ajuga iva leaves in order to confirm its therapeutic effects. The phytochemical screening carried out on the different extracts of Ajuga iva showed its richness in primary (lipids and proteins) and secondary metabolites (flavonoids, tannins, reducing compounds, oses, and holoside. The best contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins evaluated by spectrophotometric methods were found in the hydroethanolic extract (69.850 ± 2.783 mg EAG/g DE, 17.127 ± 0.474 mg EQ/g DE, 5.566 ± 0.000 mg EQC/g DE), respectively. Analysis of the chemical composition of the aqueous extract by LC/UV/MS revealed 32 polyphenolic compounds including ferulic acid (19.06%), quercetin (10.19%), coumaric acid (9.63%), and apigenin-7-(2-O-apiosylglucoside) (6.8%). The antioxidant activity of Ajuga iva extracts was evaluated by three methods (DPPH*, FRAP, CAT). The hydroethanolic extract recorded the strongest reducing power: DPPH* (IC50 = 59.92 ± 0.7 µg/mL), FRAP (EC50 = 196.85 ± 1.54 (µg/mL), and CAT (199.21 ± 0.37 mg EAG/gE). A strong correlation between phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities was confirmed by the determination of Pearson’s coefficient. The antimicrobial activity of Ajuga iva studied by the microtiter method revealed potent antifungal and antibacterial qualities against Candida parapsilosis and Staphylococcus aureus BLACT. An in vivo oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using normal rats revealed that the antihyperglycemic action of the aqueous extract significantly reduced postprandial hyperglycaemia at (30 min, p < 0.01) and area under the curve (AUC glucose), p < 0.01. Similarly, the aqueous extract, tested on pancreatic α-amylase enzyme activity in vitro and in vivo significantly inhibited pancreatic α-amylase activity with IC50 = 1.52 ± 0.03 mg/mL. In conclusion, the extract from Ajuga iva could be a good source of bioactive molecules, which exhibit potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as strong antidiabetic activity, for applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

Mineral Constituents and Antimicrobial Potential of Extracts of Ajuga iva L. Collected from Different Geographical Locations in Morocco

“…Importantly, no growth of Penicillium was observed in plates treated with the methanol extract of the sample collected from Aazzaba. The findings obtained from the present study are consistent with those reported by Saidi et al 18 In the same context, Makni et al observed that methanol extract was the most effective against Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium sp., with inhibition zones of 11, 10, and 18 mm, respectively. 30 The extracts obtained from Ajuga iva exhibited the least potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an inhibition zone of 11 mm.…”

“…The phytochemistry of the herb revealed the presence of several active compounds, such as ferulic acid, quercetin, coumaric acid, and apigenin-7-(2-O-apiosylglucoside), which are well known for their antimicrobial properties. 18 Ferulic acid exhibited interesting antifungal activity against Candida albicans by altering the morphology and internal structure of the cell surface, resulting in damage to the integrity of the cell and leakage of its contents. 32 The combination of ferulic acid and caspofungin was found to be effective against C. albicans by inducing apoptosis.…”

Comparative study of the chemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils extracted from Lavandula abrialis and Lavandula stoechas: in vitro and in silico analysis

“…The hydrogen potential provides information regarding the assimilation of nutrients by plants ( Saidi et al, 2023 ). In the present work, the abrialis and L. stoechas ranged from 4.96 to 5.94, respectively.…”