title: In vitro digestion, antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase activities of two species of Ruta: Ruta chalepensis and Ruta montana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ruta genus (Rutaceae) is abundantly used and described in the most ancient systematic records of medical practice of the Mediterranean world. In Tunisia, this genus is represented by two medicinal and aromatic shrubs: Ruta chalepensis L. and Ruta montana L.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChE) activities before and after in vitro gastrointestinal metabolism of leaf decoction of R. chalepensis and R. montana.
  
  
  METHODS
  We study, in vitro, the effect of the gastrointestinal juices gastric (1.75 mL) or pancreatic (2.5 mL) juices, on the biological activity by the measurement of the antioxidant activity and AChE inhibition during 4 h of decoction extract obtained from the leaves of the two species of Ruta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the ability to inhibit the AChE enzyme was similar; being the greatest inhibitory activity exhibited by the ethanol extract (IC50=12 ± 1.1 μg/mL) obtained from leaves of R. chalepensis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, we showed that there was no appreciable degradation and that the activity was kept constant after gastric and pancreatic juice digestion.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sciences, Unity of Research of Vegetal Ecology , University of El-Manar II , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ayda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khadhri
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Sciences, Unity of biochemistry of lipids and proteins , University of El-Manar II , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Intidhar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bouali
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sciences, Unity of Research of Vegetal Ecology , University of El-Manar II , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Belkhir
authors.affiliation: c Laboratory of Extremophile Plants , Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria , Hammam-Lif , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Rabhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mokded
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Sciences, Unity of Research of Vegetal Ecology , University of El-Manar II , Tunis , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smiti
authors.affiliation: d Faculty of Sciences, Centre of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Lisbon , Lisboa , Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falé
authors.affiliation: d Faculty of Sciences, Centre of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Lisbon , Lisboa , Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Eduarda M
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: d Faculty of Sciences, Centre of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Lisbon , Lisboa , Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa M
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Serralheiro
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004063:Digestion; D004355:Drug Stability; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000737:chemistry; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010189:Pancreatic Juice / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D032105:Ruta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; D007501:Iron
keywords: Rutaceae; gastrointestinal digestion; phenolic compounds; radical scavenging DPPH; reducing power assay