Abstract

THE ALGERIAN AERIAL PART OF SANTOLINA CHAMAECYPARISSUS EFFECTIVELY ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES IN VITRO AND IN VIVO.

Meriem Djarmouni*, Abderrahmane Baghiani, Moufida Adjadj and Lekhmici Arrar

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Santolina chamaecyparissus extracts in vitro and in vivo. Methods: S. chamaecyparissus aerial parts were extracted with solvent of varying polarity: methanol (crude) extract (CE) chloroform extract (CHE), ethyl acetate extract (EAE), and aqueous extract (AE). The content of total phenolics and flavonoids in all the extracts were determined with spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity of all the extracts were investigated using several methods in vitro such as free radical scavenging activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH• assay), capacity of the inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, were used for all the extracts. Methanol extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg, was estimated using the antioxidant plasma capacity (APC), DPPH and reducing power tests. The activity of catalase (CAT), the level of MDA and GSH were evaluated in mouse liver homogenate. The antihemolytic property of methanol extract was evaluated in erythrocytes exposed to oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP). Results: Among all the extracts analyzed, the EAE exhibited a higher phenolic and flavonoids content than other samples: 373.83 ± 0.23 mg gallic acid equivalent and 7.86 ± 61.51 mg quercetin equivalent/g of dried weigh, respectively. In the DPPH assay, the EAE showed the highest scavenging activity of free radicals (IC50 = 0.01 ± 0.0001 mg/ml). The inhibition of lipid peroxydation test using FTC assay showed that the CrE had the highest rate. In thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS) assay witch used to measure MDA formed, we found that EAE decrease the absorbance of MDA molecules. Methanol extract increased significantly the serum reducing power and no significant change with DPPH compared to the control group. The Evaluation of the methanol extract capacity to inhibit the hemolysis of blood in vivo in the presence of the oxidant tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBH), showed a very important antihemolytic activity with Half-Hemolysis Time (HT50) equal to 72.05 ± 4.95 min. The liver of normal animals exhibited a significant increase in catalase (CAT) activity by 59.16%. Additionally, these organs exhibited a significant increase in the level of thiol reduced (GSH) and significant decrease in the level of (MDA) by 59.21% and 79.56% respectively. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the S. chamaecyparissus extracts (SCE) possesses potent antioxidant properties and might be valuable natural source of antioxidants that could be applicable to both the medical and food industries.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Santolina chamaecyparissus, Total phenolics, Flavonoids.