Anti-aging and Antioxidant Activities of Ethanol and Three-phase Partitioned Extracts of Inula viscosa

Abstract

Inula viscosa is a plant commonly used to treat inflammation, germicide, expectorant, cough reducer, diuretic, anemia, and cancer. In addition to its medicinal effect, this plant has been preferred because it is thought to be a free radical scavenger and anti-aging effect due to its phenolic compounds. The aim of the study was to determine whether the plant has antioxidant and anti-aging potential. The plant was extracted with both the traditional solvent extraction method with ethanol and the novel three-phase partitioned (TPP) system, and the two methods were compared. The methods of DPPH free radical scavenging, ABTS cation radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, and reduction of copper and iron ions were used to determine the antioxidant effects of the obtained extracts. In addition, elastase enzyme inhibition was studied to investigate the anti-aging potential. TPP method (23.9% yield) was performed at a higher yield than the solvent extraction (8.99% yield). The ethanolic extract and TPP extract of plant inhibited the DPPH free radical with IC50=0.27 µg/mL and IC50=0.026 µg/mL, and ABTS cation radical with IC50=0.28 µg/mL and IC50=0.13 µg/mL, and superoxide anion radical with IC50=3.53 µg/mL and IC50=2.43 µg/mL, respectively. According to the elastase inhibition results, IC50=3.11 µg/mL for ethanol extract and IC50=3.05 µg/mL for TPP extract were obtained. Both extracts of I. viscosa showed antioxidant and anti-aging effects at levels close to the standards. In addition, according to the results, TPP extract was found to be more effective than ethanol extract.