Fatty Acid Composition, Antioxidant, and Enzyme Inhibition Activities of Cachrys Crassiloba (Boiss.) Meikle Fruit and Leaf Extracts

Abstract

The genus Cachrys L. (Apiaceae) is distributed in the Mediterranean region and contains 11 species. C. crassiloba (Boiss.) Meikle is a species that grows in Southwest and Western Anatolia. Considering the literature studies, there were not enough studies on C. crassiloba. In this study, fatty acid composition, total phenol/flavonoid contents, antioxidant and acetyl-butrylcholinesterase, tyrosinase, and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition activities of n-hexane and ethanol extracts prepared from C. crassiloba fruits and leaves were investigated by spectrophotometric methods at different concentrations. When the results were evaluated, it was found that the hexane extract of C. crassiloba leaf (123.92 ± 4.62 GA mg/g extract) had the highest total phenol content, while the ethanol extract of C. crassiloba fruit (134.38 ± 0.98 QE mg/g extract) had the highest flavonoid content. C. crassiloba hexane and ethanol leaf extracts (IC50= 8.04 ± 1.31 µg/mL; 10.30 ± 3.15 µg/mL) showed good antioxidant activity com-pared to the ascorbic acid (IC50= 14.59 ± 1.96 µg/mL) in DPPH assay. C. crassiloba leaf ethanol extract (IC50= 17.38 ± 5.02 µg/mL) has the highest ABTS scavenging activity. C. crassiloba extracts have mod-erate cholinesterase inhibitory activity. C. crassiloba leaf ethanol extract (IC50= 196.65 ± 1.94 µg/mL) has good tyrosinase enzyme inhibition activity. C. crassiloba leaf hexane extract (36.35% ± 1.13) was found to have significant inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. In conclusion, besides its antioxidant activity, C. crassiloba may be effective against neurodegenerative diseases and skin disorders such as hyperpigmentation and diabetes mellitus, but further phytochemical analysis studies are required.