Antioxidant activity, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential and phytochemical analysis of Sarcocephalus latifolius Sm. bark used in traditional medicine in Sudan

Abstract Background Sarcocephalus latifolius is used as a traditional medicine for curing many diseases in Sudan. The main objective of the current study was to determine the antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition (AChEI) of S. latifolius, and to estimate its total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Methods Antioxidant activity of the tested plant extracts was carried out by determining their ability to scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. On the other hand, AChE inhibitory activity was determined spectrophotometrically using the Ellman’s colorimetric method. The levels of total phenols and flavonoids were determined quantitatively using spectrophotometric methods. MTT assay was consumed to assess the cytotoxic effect of the most active fractions. These fractions were subjected to phytochemical analysis using GC-MS techniques to determine thier chemical composition. Results Hexane and chloroform fractions exhibited the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values of (0.098 ± 0.08 and 0.099 ± 0.029 mg/ml) respectively. Standard propyl gallate had the lowest IC50 value of 0.0414 ± 0.11 mg/ml. The ethanolic crude extract showed low AChEI activity with 40.2 ± 0.10%. High concentrations of phenolic and flavonoid contents were observed. GCMS revealed the presence of well-known antioxidants compounds e.g. Vitamin E and caffeic acid. Conclusion The ethanolic extract of bark of S. latifolius showed potent antioxidant effects and low AChEI activity, high phenolic and flavonoid contents and presence of pharmacologically active compounds. These findings explain its wide usages in traditional medicine

Phytochemical Composition and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Blepharis linariifolia (Pers.) Seeds

Blepharis linariifolia (Pers.) originates from Sudan and grows widely in Africa. The current study has been designed to evaluate the bioactive compounds and antimicrobial activity of the n-hexane extract of Blepharis linariifolia seeds. The extract was analyzed by GC-MS (Model GCMS-QP2010 Ultra, Shimadzu Co., Japan) which revealed the presence of 2-Pentanol, 2-methyl;3-Pentanol, 3-methyl; 2-Hexanone; Hexanal; Benzaldehyde, 4-fluoro; 4-Methyl-4-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl)oxypentane-2,3-dione; 4-methyl-4-[3',4',5',6'-tetrahydro-2'-H-pyranyl-2'-oxy]-2,3-pentanedione; Hexane, 1,1'-oxybis; 1-Pentanol, 2,2-dimethyl; Butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-2-methyl; 2-Heptene, 5-ethyl-2,4-dimethyl; Undeca-4,8-dione; Acetic acid, 4-acetyl-2-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran-2-yl ester; 1-(3,3-dimethyl-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl)pentan-2-one 3-cyano-2-oxa-1-ethoxyadamanane; Ethyl 3-methyl-2-oxobutyrate; Heneicosane 4,8,12,16-Tetramethylheptadecan-4-olide; 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester; Hexatriacontane and Dotriacontane. All compounds were identified from the spectral libraries of National Institute of Standard and Technology and WILEY. FTIR analysis revealed the presence various functional groups related to different type of organic substances including: Organic halogen, Ester, nitro compound, aromatics, amines, Aldehyde, Alkenes, Phenol, Alcohol and silicon compounds. The in vitro antimicrobial assays showed there is non-significant activity of this extract against five microorganism tested for