ABSTRACT
Abstract Securigera securidaca (L.) Degen & Döefl., Fabaceae, has been widely used in the Iranian, Indian and Egyptian folk medicine as antidiabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic remedy. Phenolic profiling of the ethanolic extract (90%) of the flowers of S. securidaca was performed via HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis in the positive and negative ion modes. The total polyphenols and flavonoids in the flowers were determined colorimetrically, and the quantification of their components was carried out using HPLC-UV. Total phenolics and flavonoids estimated as gallic acid and rutin equivalents were 82.39 ± 2.79 mg/g and 48.82 ± 1.95 mg/g of the dried powdered flowers, respectively. HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analysis of the extract allowed the identification of 39 flavonoids and eight phenolic acids. Quantitative analysis of some flavonoids and phenolics (mg/100 g powdered flowers) revealed the presence of isoquercetrin (3340 ± 2.1), hesperidin (32.09 ± 2.28), naringin (197.3 ± 30.16), luteolin (10.247 ± 0.594), chlorogenic acid (84.22 ± 2.08), catechin (3.94 ± 0.57) and protocatechuic acid (34.4 ± 0.15), in the extract. Moreover, the acute toxicity, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the extract were investigated using alloxan induced diabetes in rats in a dose of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg bwt. The ethanolic extract was safe up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg. All tested doses of the flower extract showed marked decrease in blood glucose level by 31.78%, 66.41% and 63.8% at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bwt, respectively, at p < 0.05. Regarding the anti-hyperlipidemic effect, a dose of 400 mg/kg of the flower extract showed the highest reduction in serum triacylglycerides and total cholesterol levels (68.46% and 51.50%, respectively at p < 0.05). The current study proved the folk use of the flowers of S. securidaca as anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic agent which could be attributed to its high phenolic content.
ABSTRACT
Artemisia annua is currently the only source for the commercial pharmaceutical production of artemisinin as neither its chemical synthesis nor its in vitro production is economically feasible. However, the very low amount of artemisinin in Artemisia annua L., (0.01-0.6%) of dry weight has made artemisinin-based drugs remains expensive and is hardly available on a global scale. Limitations in the supply of this promising and most potent antimalarial compound makes the cultivation of this plant is still the only valid source to satisfy the high demands and the vast need of artemisinin at a reduced acceptable market price for most patients. In this paper we attempted to increase the cultivating area of this important plant by cultivating A.annua seeds for the first time in the western desert of Egypt to improve its agricultural yields in order to ensure a steady global supply of artemisinin and to study the environmental impact of the cultivation area on the amount of artemisinin production. The high artemisinin concentration reported in this study (4.85-4.90%) of dry weight has identified the Egyptian desert for the first time as a new promising cultivating area for pharmaceutical production of artemisinin. A very simple method was developed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS) for the quantification of artemisinin in both plant material and pure samples.
ABSTRACT
Artemisia annua is currently the only source for the commercial pharmaceutical production of artemisinin as neither its chemical synthesis nor its in vitro production is economically feasible. However, the very low amount of artemisinin in Artemisia annua L., (0.01-0.6%) of dry weight has made artemisinin-based drugs remains expensive and is hardly available on a global scale. Limitations in the supply of this promising and most potent antimalarial compound makes the cultivation of this plant is still the only valid source to satisfy the high demands and the vast need of artemisinin at a reduced acceptable market price for most patients. In this paper we attempted to increase the cultivating area of this important plant by cultivating A.annua seeds for the first time in the western desert of Egypt to improve its agricultural yields in order to ensure a steady global supply of artemisinin and to study the environmental impact of the cultivation area on the amount of artemisinin production. The high artemisinin concentration reported in this study (4.85-4.90%) of dry weight has identified the Egyptian desert for the first time as a new promising cultivating area for pharmaceutical production of artemisinin. A very simple method was developed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS) for the quantification of artemisinin in both plant material and pure samples.