Screening of Spanish Medicinal Plants for Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities

Abstract

Dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous extracts obtained from 16 Spanish medicinal plants were screened for their antioxidant and antifungal activities. The radical scavenging capacity was evaluated by the DPPH method using a rapid screening by TLC and a spectrophotometric assay. Polar extracts obtained from Jasonia gluti-, and Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae) showed high antioxidant properties. Among them, the methanol extract of Lythrum salicaria showed the strongest antiradical capacity with an IC 50 value similar to the positive control ascorbic acid. On the contrary, the best antifungal properties against Rhizopus stolonifer were produced by ethyl acetate or dichloromethane extracts from Anthemis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis (Asteraceae), Tanacetum parthenium, Santolina chamaecyparissus L. subsp. squarrosa Nyman (Asteraceae), Anagallis arvensis L. (Primulaceae) and the methanol extract of Anagallis foemina Miller (Primulaceae). The dichloromethane extract of Anthemis arvensis subsp. arvensis was the best inhibitor of fungus growth.

Characterization of Phytochemicals in Petals of Different Colours From Viola × wittrockiana Gams. and Their Correlation With Antioxidant Activity

“…Four different methods were used for the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the extracts: DPPH radical-scavenging assay (Lopez et al, 2008), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS + ) assay (Almajano, Carbo, Jimenez, & Gordon, 2008), Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay (Almajano, Delgado, & Gordon, 2007) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) method (Skowyra, Falguera, Gallego, Peiró, & Almajano, 2013). Results were expressed as mg Trolox (TE)/g of freeze-dried weight (FDW) extract.…”

Chemical Constituents and Cytotoxic Effect of the Main Compounds of Lythrum salicaria L.

“…Additionally, biologically active compounds have been isolated from the plant such as oleanolic acid and ursolic acid as antifungal compounds and the hexahydroxydiphenoyl ester vescalagin as an antibacterial agent (Becker et al, 2005). Antioxidant activity of various extracts of the plant has been tested, and polar extracts were found to be the most active ones (Coban et al, 2003;Lopez et al, 2008;Tunalier et al, 2007). The plant extract decreases the blood glucose level in both hyperglycaemic and normoglycemic rats and rabbits (Lamela et al, 1986;Torres and Suarez, 1980).…”

“…The results of the cytotoxic assay confi rmed that growth and proliferation of the cancer cell lines are predominantly infl uenced by triterpene derivatives and sterols of this plant. ., 2003;Lopez et al, 2008;Tunalier et al, 2007). The plant extract decreases the blood glucose level in both hyperglycaemic and normoglycemic rats and rabbits (Lamela et al, 1986;Torres and Suarez, 1980).…”

POTENTIAL ROLE OF Jasonia montanta AND Jasonia candicans AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: ASSESSMENT OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND GENE EXPRESSION CHANGES IN AD-INDUCED RATS

“…Moreover, four sesquiterpenes isolated from Jasonia glutinosa D.C. (Asteraceae), namely lucinone, glutinone, 5-epikutdtriol and kutdtriol, have been evaluated for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in cellular systems generating cyclooxygenase (COX) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) metabolites (Benito et al, 2002). López et al (2008) have been demonstrated the antioxidant and antifungal activities of this plants. Therefore, the antioxidant activity of these herb used in the present study may contribute to the reduction of the oxidative activity of AlCl 3 induced AD.…”

“…According to López et al (2008), plant material was air-dried in the dark at room temperature. The dried-powder (180 meshes) was successively extracted 3-times with 200 ml dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water after maceration at 4°C for 24h.…”