Acute toxicity and antiproliferative and procoagulant activities of fractions derived from Thymus satureioides of the Moroccan High Atlas

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of crude extract (CE) and fractions derived from the Moroccan endemic plant Thymus satureioides (T. satureioides) on inflammation, coagulation and viability of a cell cancer line. The crude extract and fractions from the leaves of T. satureioides were analysed using HPLC and examined for their antioxidant capacity using mineral and biological substrates. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts was evaluated using croton oil- and carrageenan-induced oedema. The effect on blood coagulation in normal rat plasma was also determined using prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) assays. Furthermore, the oral acute toxicity and antiproliferative effects on the MCF-7 cell line of the CE were evaluated. The major identified polyphenol in the CE and polar fractions was rosmarinic acid. No mortalities due to acute toxicity were observed at 5 g/kg. All plant preparations protected the cell membranes of erythrocytes against oxidative damage and showed high scavenging activity, as measured using DPPH and FRAP. Moreover, the hydrophobic fractions demonstrated significant inhibitory effects against croton oil-induced oedema. The methanol fraction (60 mg/kg) significantly reduced oedema induced by carrageenan during the first phase. During the APTT and PT assays, the CE and fractions caused plasma coagulation even at low concentrations. An antiproliferative assay (MTT) showed a significant decrease in the number of viable cells in culture medium supplemented with CE at different concentrations. These results suggest that extracts from the leaves of T. satureioides constitute a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer metabolites.