Pharmacology and polyphenolic contents of in vitro propagated Aloe pruinosa Reynolds grown ex vitro

Abstract

Analysis of the bioactivity of ex vitro-grown micropropagated plants of a vulnerable traditional medicinal plant, Aloe pruinosa Reynolds, is essential to promote the supplementation of wild resources. Two-year-old ex vitro-acclimatized plants of A. pruinosa, established using different plant growth regulators and greenhouse-grown in vitro and in vivo seedlings, were evaluated for their polyphenolic content and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory (AChE), antibacterial and anti-candidal activities. Higher levels of total phenols (0.036 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoids (0.108 mg CE/g DW) were recorded in the ex vitro plant rinds plus pulp derived from thidiazuron (TDZ) treatments. There was no significant difference in the flavonoid content between rinds plus pulp samples, which were treated with phloroglucinol (PG) and combinations of meta-topolin riboside and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Increased phenolics and flavonoids within ex vitro plant samples did not affect bioactivity of A. pruinosa. Rinds plus pulp from ex vitro-grown plants derived from 10 μM BA and 2 μM IAA combined treatments gave the best AChE inhibitory activity (0.28 mg ml−1). Rinds of ex vitro-grown plants from all treatments and controls gave high antibacterial activity (MIC of 0.78–1.56 mg ml−1) against Staphylococcus aureus. Anti-candidal activity (0.098 mg ml−1) was effective in pulp of ex vitro-grown plants from TDZ treatments.