Phytochemical profile, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of crude latex (Pergularia tomentosa L.) in Algerian Saharan

This study aimed to evaluate the dry crude latex extract from P. tomentosa, endemic to the Sahara, by determining the total content of polyphenols and flavonoids, and detecting the plant compounds by HPLC chromatography. Also, Antioxidant activity was measured through three tests: (BCB) beta-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay, (DPPH) radical scavenging and (FRAP) ferric reducing ability assay. In addition, anti-inflammatory activity. The results showed that the dry crude latex extract of P. tomentosa showed moderate content of polyphenols and flavonoids in the dry crude latex extract of P. tomentosa. Besides, qualitative HPLC analysis led to the detection of a group of phenolic compounds of this extract that have therapeutic properties. Also, the studied extract had strong activity in the beta-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching test and the values obtained were very close to the reference gallic acid. The results also indicated significant antioxidant activities in the DPPH and FRAP assay compared to ascorbic acid. In addition, the strong effect of dry crude latex extract from P. tomentosa in inhibiting protein denaturation induced by albumin hyperthermia, compared to ASPEGIC®, which is used as a reference drug in infections. In conclusion, the results indicate that the dry crude latex extract of P. tomentosa has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which confirms the use of this extract in folk medicine, which could be a first step in introducing it into therapeutic applications