Phytochemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Asparagus acutifolius: A Focus on Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Lipase Inhibitory and Antimicrobial Activities.

Amel Hamdi,Najoua Karray-Bouraoui,Ana Jiménez-Araujo,Mokhtar Lachaal,Rafael Guillén-Bejarano,Rocío Rodríguez-Arcos,Sara Jaramillo-Carmona

doi:10.3390/molecules26113328

Amel Hamdi, Najoua Karray-Bouraoui + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113328

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Abstract

The phytochemical composition of leaves, stems, pericarps and rhizomes ethanolic extracts of Asparagus acutifolius were characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS. A. acutifolius samples contain at least eleven simple phenolics, one flavonon, two flavonols and six steroidal saponins. The stem extracts showed the highest total phenolic acid and flavonoid contents, where cafeic acid and rutin were the main compounds. No flavonoids were detected in the leaf, pericarp or rhizome while caffeic acid and ferulic acid were the predominant. Steroidal saponins were detected in the different plant parts of A. acutifolius, and the highest contents were found in the rhizome extracts. The stem extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the highest 2,2-azino-bis (3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity was found in the pericarp extracts. The rhizome and leaf extracts showed a potent cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 and HepG2 cell lines. Moreover, the pericarp and rhizome extracts revealed a moderate lipase inhibitory activity. The leaf and rhizome extracts were screened for their antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic isolates. The leaf extract exhibited a powerful inhibitory activity against all the bacteria and fungi tested.

Highlights

In recent decades, an increasing interest has been focused on wild edible plants to broaden the diversity of the human diet because of their nutritional and medicinal values [1,2]
The results showed that the total content of simple phenolics was 1.3, 1.9 and 2 times higher in the stem than in the rhizome, pericarp and leaf, respectively (Table 1)
The results of our analysis are in accordance with those of Salvatore et al [18], who found that caffeic acid was the main phenolic acid in A. acutifolius spear and A. officinalis root

Summary

Introduction

An increasing interest has been focused on wild edible plants to broaden the diversity of the human diet because of their nutritional and medicinal values [1,2]. In the Mediterranean basin, wild plants rich in antioxidants have been harvested and eaten seasonally for many generations They have been used as food, medicine, dye and ornaments and are an important source of income for local people in different regions. Asparagus acutifolius L., is an herbaceous, perennial species widely distributed in the Mediterranean area, and mainly known for the fine flavor of its spears It is generally sold in local markets at relatively high prices and used in typical restaurant dishes. Di maro et al [7] have found rutin (3-O-Quercitin-rutinoside) as the main flavonoid along with high levels of isoquercitrin (Quercitin-glucoside) They have found important antiproliferative activities against neuroblastoma and liver, cervical and lung cancer cells. A decoction of the root has been used traditionally by the ethnomedicine as a diuretic [9]

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