antioxidant and anticandidal activities of the tunisian haplophyllum tuberculatum forssk a juss essential oils

Abstract Haplophyllum tuberculatum Forssk. is a medicinal plant growing in Tunisia. It is widely used in traditional medicine against gastro-intestinal problems, fevers, ear infections and rheumatisms. The present investigation evaluated the effects of leaves, stems and leaves + stems essential oils of Haplophyllum tuberculatum Forssk. and of their pure compounds on free radicals as well as their anticandidal activities. Screening for the antioxidant activity of the oils, R-(+)-limonene, S-(−)-limonene and 1-octanol was conducted by DPPH, ABTS and β-carotene/linoleic acid radical scavenging assays. The essentials oils and their compounds were screened for antifungal activity against four Candida species: Candida albicans ATCC 90028; Candida glabrata ATCC 90030; Candida parapsilosis ATCC 27853 and Candida krusei ATCC 6258. When compared with ascorbic acid as standard, it was found that the essential oils have a significant inhibition in scavenging free radicals, resulting in an important IC50. The pure compounds were inactive against the free radicals. The anticandidal test results showed that leaves, stems and leaves + stems oils strongly inhibited the growth of Candida krusei at 30 μg/mL leaves oils and 70 μg/mL for other oils and that moderately of the 3 other Candida species. The pure compound, 1-octanol, was active one against the candida species, with MIC-values between 0.07 and 1.25 mg/mL. In all in vitro assays, a significant correlation existed between the concentrations of the essential oils, the percentage inhibition of free radicals and of the growth inhibitory of tested candida species. The results indicate the essential oils may be applied for treating diseases related to free radicals, potentially to prevent cancer development and as an antifungal agent against Candida

Antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition by essential oils from Hertia cheirifolia (L.).

Essential oils from Hertia cheirifolia L. were evaluated for antioxidant activities by the 1,1-diphényl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), reducing power and carotene/linoleic acid and inhibitory properties against-glucosidase. The essential oils (EOs) have been analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gaschromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Chemical analyses showed that the EOs were rich interpenes. -Pinene was identified as major component in H. cheirifolia essential oils.Studies on kinetic behavior of the EOs showed that the oils of this species were non-competitiveinhibitors and the flowers oil exhibited a strong -glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50value of0.24 ± 0.01 mg/mL. These results show that H. cheirifolia could be a natural source of potent antioxidantsand -glucosidase inhibitors