Neuroprotective Potential and Antioxidant Activity of Various Solvent Extracts and Essential Oil of Ferula orientalis L.

Abstract

Ferula orientalis L. is a wild edible plant which belongs to the Apiaceae family. Ferula species have promising bioactive compounds and they can be used in developing drugs. This study was designed in two steps. Firstly, the chemical composition of the essential oil and the phenolic profiles of classical and ultrasonic water, ethanol:water, and methanol:water extracts were determined. Also, in vitro antioxidant activity analysis and MTT tests were applied to all extracts and essential oil. The essential oil group had the highest antioxidant activity against the DPPH• and ABTS•+ free radicals and the highest cell viability rate in the glutamate-induced cytotoxicity model in cortex neuron cell culture. In the second step, it was aimed to determine the neuroprotective activity of the essential oil. Especially at 10-2 concentration, the essential oil showed the highest neuroprotective effect with the lowest total oxidant status (0.57 H2 O2 Equivalent/mmolL-1). Chlorogenic acid and diosmin were identified as major phenolic components. Furthermore, the major volatile compound detected was α-pinene. The total phenolic contents varied between 3.333 and 117.222 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent/ g while the total flavonoids were between 1.710 and 21.325 mg Quercetin Equivalent/g. The evidence provided by this study can be an effective guide in showing the neuroprotective effect of F. orientalis.