Abstract
Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) and Laurus nobilis (bay leaves or laurel) have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and also extensively employed as spices for adding aroma and flavor to various food products. Citrus reticulata (mandarin) is mainly used in food industry for juice production, while its peel as main byproduct contains high concentration of valuable substances. The samples were collected in Lastva Grbaljska (Montenegrin coast) and purchased from the market. Since the oxidative stress results in development of numerous diseases, among them neurodegeneration and diabetes, the antioxidant activity, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic activities were analyzed, aiming to compare potential of plants cultivated under natural conditions and commercially purchased from the market, as well as to compare the effect of different solvents applied in the extraction process. Water, methanol and acetone extracts of leaves and peel were tested by DPPH and total reducing power (TRP) methods for determination of antioxidant activity, and by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase inhibition assays for analyzing the other activities. Total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents were also determined. The acetonic extract of L. nobilis from Lastva showed the highest TPC, DPPH, TRP, and α-glucosidase inhibition, while water extract of commercial L. nobilis exhibited the highest AChE inhibition. The leaves of L. nobilis are demonstrated to be promising antioxidant, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic agent.
Highlights
Free radicals are highly reactive species having unpaired electrons in their outermost shell leading to oxidative stress, which causes tissue damage and results in large number of diseases
Since the oxidative stress results in development of numerous diseases, among them neurodegeneration and diabetes, the antioxidant activity, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic activities were analyzed, aiming to compare potential of plants cultivated under natural conditions and commercially purchased from the market, as well as to compare the effect of different solvents applied in the extraction process
Methanol and acetone extracts of leaves and peel were tested by DPPH and total reducing power (TRP) methods for determination of antioxidant activity, and by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and αglucosidase inhibition assays for analyzing the other activities
Summary
Free radicals are highly reactive species having unpaired electrons in their outermost shell leading to oxidative stress, which causes tissue damage and results in large number of diseases. Different kinds of Citrus fruits are used in food industry for fresh juice production, with the peel as the main waste fraction, which had been widely studied because of high content of numerous biologically active compounds including natural antioxidants such as phenolic acids and flavonoids (Xu et al, 2007). (Lamiaceae), commonly known as sweet basil, is a perennial herb, native to Asia, Africa, South America, and the Mediterranean but widely cultivated in many countries (Grayer et al, 1996) This important medicinal plant and culinary herb has been used traditionally for treatment of anxiety, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, headaches, nerve pain, cough, cold, fevers, headaches and migraines, insect bites, menstrual cramps, sinusitis, as an anticonvulsant, antiinflammatory and antithrombotic agent, and in a variety of digestive and neurodegenerative disorders (Purushothaman et al, 2018). The main goal of this research was to compare bioactivities (antioxidant, antineurodegenerative and antidiabetic) of extracts of O. basilicum and L. nobilis leaves and C. reticulata peel obtained from plants cultivated under natural conditions in the Montenegro coastal region and commercially purchased from the market, and to compare the influence of the different solvents applied in the extraction process
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
