Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Anticholinesterase Activities and Phytochemical Profile of <i>Azorella glabra</i> Wedd

• Main Authors: Immacolata Faraone, Dilip K. Rai, Daniela Russo, Lucia Chiummiento, Eloy Fernandez, Alka Choudhary, Luigi Milella
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: Apiaceae; <i>Azorella glabra</i>; DPPH; <i>Beta</i>-Carotene Bleaching; RACI; phenolic characterization; UHPLC-MS/MS; polyphenols; flavonoids; health-promoting compounds
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/8/8/265

Oxidative stress is involved in different diseases, such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The genus <i>Azorella</i> includes about 70 species of flowering plant species; most of them are commonly used as food and in particular as a tea infusion in the Andean region of South America in folk medicine to treat various chronic diseases. <i>Azorella glabra</i> Wedd. aerial parts were firstly analyzed for their in vitro antioxidant activity using different complementary assays. In particular, radical scavenging activity was tested against biological neutral radical DPPH; ferric reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibitory capacity (FRAP and <i>Beta</i>-Carotene Bleaching tests) were also determined. The Relative Antioxidant Capacity Index (RACI) was used to compare data obtained by different assays. Then, the inhibitory ability of samples was investigated against <i>&#945;</i>-amylase and <i>&#945;</i>-glucosidase enzymes involved in diabetes and against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes considered as strategy for the treatment of Parkinson&#8217;s or Alzheimer&#8217;s diseases. Moreover, the phytochemical profile of the sample showing the highest RACI (1.35) and interesting enzymatic activities (IC₅₀ of 163.54 &#177; 9.72 and 215.29 &#177; 17.10 &#956;g/mL in <i>&#945;</i>-glucosidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, respectively) was subjected to characterization and quantification of its phenolic composition using LC-MS/MS analysis. In fact, the ethyl acetate fraction derived from ethanol extract by liquid/liquid extraction showed 29 compounds, most of them are cinnamic acid derivatives, flavonoid derivatives, and a terpene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the evaluation of significant biological activities and phytochemical profile of <i>A. glabra</i>, an important source of health-promoting phytochemicals.