TITLE:
Biological activities of the hydro-alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) grown in Jordan
AUTHORS:
Hana M. Hammad, Suzan A. Matar, Simona-Carmen Litescu, Sawsan Abuhamdah, Hala I. Al-Jaber, Fatma U. Afifi
KEYWORDS:
Achillea fragrantissima; Asteraceae; Antioxidant Activity; Antiplatelet Activity; Cytotoxicity; Jordan
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Science,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
23,
2014
ABSTRACT: Aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Achillea
fragrantissima L. (Asteraceae) grown in Jordan were screened for their
antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiplatelet, anti-proliferative and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition efficacy. Total
phenols and flavonoids were determined colorimetrically. The radical
scavenging activities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl
(DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)
radical scavenging activity assays. High performance liquid
chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLCMS) analysis resulted in the
identification of 7 phenolic compounds in the hydro-alcoholic extract and 4
compounds in the aqueous extract; quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside was the main component
for both extracts. Antimicrobial activities were determined by
antimicrobial susceptibility testing such as agar well-diffusion method, minimum
inhibition concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. Gram positive
bacteria showed sensitivity to hydro-alcoholic extract in the agar-well diffusion test. No significant activity was observed against gram negative bacteria and Candida albicans.
Hydro-alcoholic extract had a bactericidal activity against Streptococcus
pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus at high concentrations (MIC 12.5 mg/ml)
rather than inhibitory effect. In vitro antiplatelet activity was
tested on human whole blood using an electrical impedance method. At
concentrations (50, 100, and 200 μg/ml), no effect on platelet aggregation was
noticed. Anti-proliferative activity was investigated using the MTT assay. At
concentrations up to 200 μg/ml, extracts did not possess cytotoxic activity
against the MCF-7 cells. Acetylcholinesterase
(AChE) inhibitory capacity of A. fragrantissima extracts was tested
using TLC assay method, and neither aqueous,
nor hydroalcoholic extracts showed AChE inhibition. The present investigation supported the
traditional use of A. fragrantissima in the Jordanian folk medicine as
an antimicrobial active representative of the genus Achillea. A. fragrantissima extracts should be further
studied for their potential use in preventing/treating diseases in which
oxidative stress is a part of the pathophysiology.