HP-19: Anticholinesterase, antioxidant and antihemolytic effects of the aqueous leaf extract of Pistacia Lentiscus

Abstract

Pistacia lentiscus (Anacardiaceae) known as mastic tree, one of the many evergreen bushes found in the east ern Mediterranean region. It has been used for a long time in human food and in the pharmaceutical industry. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the anticholinesterase, antioxidant and antihemolytic activities of the aqueous leaf extract of Pistacia Lentiscus (AELPL) from the Jijel region. Methods: The contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were quantified by the Folin Ciocalteu and trichloroaluminum methods, respectively. The inhibition activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is evaluated by a spectrophotometric method. The in vitro antioxidant activity was determined by the reducing power assay, the hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity OH˙ and the DPPH radical scavenging capacity. The antihemolytic activity was evaluated by a spectrophotometric assay on human erythrocytes. Results and discussion: The results obtained show that EAPL has a high content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The study of the anti-AChE activity shows that the extract exhibits an inhibitory effect on AChE, with IC50 value of 45.6 μg/ml. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the extract demonstrated its ability to effectively scavenge hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) and DPPH radicals, as well as a significant reducing power with IC50 values of 32.62±5.32 μg/ml, 4.30±0.27 μg/ml, and 13.64±0.51 μg/ml, respectively. The findings also show that the maximum hemolytic activity of EAFPL is 3.907±1.75% at a concentration of 400 μg/ml. Conclusion: These results suggest that EAPL can be considered as a source of natural bioactive principles for pharmacological, dietary and medicinal applications