Antioxidant and Leishmanicidal Evaluation of Pulicaria Inuloides Root Extracts: A Bioguided Fractionation
Date
2019Abstract
Leishmaniasis remains a major world health problem, and in particular, Algeria ranks
second for the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Pulicaria inuloides is a well-known Arabian
Peninsula medicinal plant. In the present study, the chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts
from the roots of Pulicaria inuloides were analyzed for antioxidant activity and its correlation with
the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The highest antioxidant activity using a DPPH assay was
showed by the ethyl acetate extract (IC50 4.08 g/mL), which also had the highest total phenolic
content (307.12 gAGE). Furthermore, P. inuloides root extracts were evaluated against Leishmania
amazonensis and Leishmania donovani. The results highlighted the chloroform extract as the most active
one against both tested Leishmania strains. A bioguided fractionation of the chloroform extract led to
the isolation of (8R:8S)-(75:25 er)-10-isobutyryloxy-8,9-epoxy-thymol isobutyrate as the main bioactive
component, showing a potent leishmanicidal activity on L. amazonensis promatigote and amastigote
stages (IC50 5.03 and 2.87 M, respectively) and a good selectivity index on murine macrophages
(CC50 19.37 M). This study provides the first report of the antioxidant and leishmanicidal activities
of P. inuloides root extracts and the results point to this species as a source of potential bioactive agents