Abstract
The yield of essential oils in plants is not high and postdistillation wastes rich in phenolic compounds could be used to enhance the profitability of essential oil-bearing plants. The aim of the study was to evaluate polyphenols in a dry extract obtained from the postdistillation waste of the American basil (Ocimum americanum L.) herb, and to conduct the screening of its pharmacological activities. Rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and rutin were identified in the extract using high-performance thin-layer chromatography. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis found the presence of a plethora of polyphenols in the extract. Rosmarinic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and rutin were as the main compounds. The total phenolic content in the extract was 106.31 mg GAE/g and free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl evaluated as IC50 was 0.298 mg/mL. The tested extract dose-dependently decreased the paw edema in rats, suggesting its potent anti-inflammatory property. The acute toxicity study indicates its safety. Thus, the O. americanum hydrodistilled residue by-product is the promising source of biologically active compounds with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Highlights
Plant raw materials and herbal preparations are traditionally administered for the treatment or prevention of many diseases from ancient times [1]
The developed O. americanum dry extract (ODE) is a residue by-product from the O. americanum herb after hydrodistillation recovery that otherwise would be lost
The performed chromatographic studies revealed the presence of many polyphenols in the ODE
Summary
Plant raw materials and herbal preparations are traditionally administered for the treatment or prevention of many diseases from ancient times [1]. Natural compounds, which are synthesized by plants, are structurally ‘optimized’ in the process of evolution to serve the regulation of their defense and competition with other living organisms. It explains their ability to fight ailments of the human body, such as infectious diseases, cancer, chronic inflammation, etc. The distribution areas of many wild species of medicinal plants get less due to significant anthropogenic load. It leads to the depletion of the sources of the raw materials and reflects the necessity of finding new promising species of plants that are able to accumulate the targeted bioactive compounds
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