ABSTRACT
The fresh aerial parts of Thymus willdenowii Boiss. & Reut. (syn. Thymus hirtus Willd.) were hydrodistilled in a Clevenger type apparatus and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. 44 Components were identified representing 97.3%, with 1,8-cineole (34.62%), camphor (18.55%), α-pinene (9.46%) and camphene (5.38%) as the main components. T. willdenowii essential oil was not cytotoxic (CC50 = 97.65 µg/mL) towards Vero non-tumoural cells, exhibiting good antibacterial and antiproliferative (30.8 ± 3.1% inhibition) potentials against four tested pathogenic bacteria and Human colorectal cell line HT-29, respectively. The essential oil did not show a DPPH radical scavenging activity, by Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy (ESR), and it lacks antiviral effect towards coxsackievirus B3.
Subject(s)
Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Thymus Plant/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , Bicyclic Monoterpenes/pharmacology , Camphor/pharmacology , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , HT29 Cells , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity TestsABSTRACT
Different extracts of the aerial parts of Biscutella raphanifolia (Brassicaceae), which has not been the subject of any study, were screened for the phytochemical content, anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activities. We used four methods to identify the antioxidant activity namely, ABTS(â¢+), DPPH⢠scavenging, CUPRAC and ferrous-ions chelating methods. Since there is a relationship between antioxidants and cholinesterase enzyme inhibitors, we used two methods to determine the in vitro anti-cholinesterase activity by the use of the basic enzymes that occur in causing Alzheimer's disease: acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The extracts were also tested in vitro antimicrobial activity against various bacteria. The phytochemical study of B. raphanifolia afforded four flavonol glycosides; namely, quercetin-3-O-ß-D-g1ucoside, quercetin-3-O-[ß-D-glucosyl(1â2)-O-ß-D-glucoside], quercetin-3-O-[ß-D-glucosyl(1â3)-O-ß-D-glucoside] and kaempferol-3-O-[ß-D-glucosyl(1â2)-[(6'''p-coumaroyl)- ß-D-glucoside], being isolated here for the first time from Biscutella raphanifolia and the genus. The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest activity in ABTS(â¢+), DPPH⢠and CUPRAC assays, while the petroleum ether extract demonstrated optimum efficiency metal chelating activity. The dicloromethane and petroleum ether extracts showed a mild inhibition against AChE and BChE. However, the petroleum ether extract showed a good antibacterial activity against the pathovars Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Enterococcus feacalis, whereas the Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) strain was more sensitive to dichloromethane and n-butanol extracts.