Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of aerial parts of Ferula longipes Coss. ex Bonnier and Maury.

This is the first study on the phytochemistry and antioxidant activity of Ferula longipes Coss. ex Bonnier and Maury (Apiaceae). A new flavonoid quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-ß-D-[2-O-caffeoyl]-glucopyranoside (1), along with 10 known compounds kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (3), kaempferol-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (4), isorhamnetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (5), quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (6), isorhamnetin-3,7-di-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (7), apigenin (8), apigenin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (10), deltoin (11) were isolated from the aerial parts of Ferula longipes Coss. Structures elucidation was performed by comprehensive 1D and 2D NMR analyses, mass spectrometry and by comparison with literature data. The compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 10 were evaluated for their antioxidant activity, compound 1 exhibited the best antiradical activity potential and showed IC50 and A0.5 values 5.70, 7.25, 5.00, and 2.63 µg/mL towards DPPH free radical-scavenging, ABTS, CUPRAC, and reducing power assays, respectively compared with BHA, BHT and ascorbic acid which were used as positive controls.

Flavonoids, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Evax pygmaea.

CONTEXT: Phytochemical study and biological potential of Evax pygmaea (L.) Brot. (Asteraceae) are reported for the first time. OBJECTIVE: To identify the secondary metabolites of Evax pygmaea and to determine its antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxic activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dried aerial parts (1 kg) were macerated in 70% MeOH (5 L) during 72 h. The concentrated hydromethanolic extract was subjected to extractions with chloroform (3 × 300 mL), ethyl acetate (3 × 300 mL) and n-butanol (3 × 300 mL), successively. VLC of combined ethyl acetate (EAEP) and n-butanol (BEP) fractions was followed by column purifications. Antioxidant activity was investigated using DPPH, CUPRAC, and metal chelating, ß-carotene/linoleic acid and ABTS assays. Agar method was used in the antibacterial study. Cytotoxic activity was determined by Brine shrimp lethality test in DMSO and ethanol, at varying concentrations (2, 1 and 0.2%) and (1, 0.2 and 0.1%) successively. RESULTS: Quercetin (1), isorhamnetin 3-O-ß-d-xyloside (2), isorhamnetin 3-O-ß-d-glucoside (3), quercetin 3-O-ß-d-glucoside (4), quercetin 7-O-ß-D-glucoside (5), patuletin 3-O-ß-d-glucoside (6) were isolated from for the first time from Evax genus. The EAEP was the most active in ABTS (IC50: <3.125 µg/mL) assay whereas the BEEP exhibited the highest activity in the ß-carotene/linoleic acid assay (IC50: <3.125 µg/mL). The EAEP and BEP exhibited good antibacterial activity (MIC: 40-80 µg/mL). The plant did not show any toxicity (LD50>80 µg/mL). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Six flavonoids were isolated for the first time from Evax pygmaea which exhibited good antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Comparative composition of four essential oils of Oregano used in Algerian and Jordanian folk medicine.

The essential oils obtained from Origanum glandulosum Desf., collected from two different localities of north-eastern Algeria, Constantine and Jijel, and from O. syriacum var. syriacum grown at El-Aghwar (northern Jordan) and El-Shubak (southern Jordan), were analyzed by GC-MS. p-Cymene (6.6% and 7.5%) and gamma-terpinene (13.4% and 14.5%) were found in O. glandulosum grown at Constantine and Jijel, respectively, in addition to the major components thymol (34.2%, 51.1%) and carvacrol (30.5%, 6.8%). The oil of O. syriacum L. var syriacum (Boiss.) Ietswaart from El-Shubak was mainly represented by thymol (51.8%) and carvacrol (34.4%), while the oil from El-Aghwar was a thymol-chemotype (72.4%), along with gamma-terpinene (7.8%) and p-cymene (5.4%).