Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of the medicinal halophyte Reaumuria vermiculata.
Reaumuria vermiculata is a xero-halophytic specie widely distributed in the south of Tunisia. In the current study, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of Reaumuria vermiculata shoot extracts as well as its phenolic compounds were investigated in different solvent extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water). Results showed a strong antioxidant activity, using the ORAC method and a cell based-assay, in methanol extract as well as an important phenolic composition (117.12 mg GAE/g). Hexane and dichloromethane proved an interesting anticancer activity against A-549 lung carcinoma cells, with IC50 values of 17 and 23 µg/ml, respectively. Besides, dichloromethane extract displayed the utmost anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting NO release over 100 % at 80 µg/ml in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7. Taken together, these finding suggest that R. vermiculata exhibited an interesting biological activities which may be related to the phenolic composition of this plant. Moreover, the identification of phenolic compounds in R. vermiculata dichloromethane extract using RP-HPLC revealed that myricetin was the major molecule. These results allow us to propose R. vermiculata as a valuable source for bioactive and natural compounds exhibiting interesting biological capacities.
Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Manel
M
Karker
Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Hanen
H
Falleh
Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Kamel
K
Msaada
Extêmophiles Plants Laboratory, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Abderrazak
A
Smaoui
Extêmophiles Plants Laboratory, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Chedly
C
Abdelly
LASEVE Laboratory, Québec University in Chicoutimi, 555 University Boulevard, G7H 2B1Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada.
Jean
J
Legault
Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Biotechnology center of Borj-Cédria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam-lif, Tunisia.
Riadh
R
Ksouri
RP-HPLC; Reaumuria vermiculata; anti-inflammatory; anticancer; antioxidant activity; phenolic compounds