Phytochemical and biological studies of Butia capitata Becc. leaves cultivated in Egypt
Nagwa Mohamed Ammar1, Mohammed Said Hefnawy2, Sahar Youssef Al-Okbi3
1Pharmacognosy Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, El-Buhouth Street, 12622, Cairo, Egypt.
Objective:
To study the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Butia capitata (B. capitata) leaf extracts along with phytochemical analysis of the proposed bioactive constituents.
Methods:
Different successive extracts of B. capitata Becc. leaves were prepared with selective organic solvents and screened for their anti-inflammatory activities in tested animals and in-vitro antioxidant effect. An extensive phytochemical investigation of the bioactive extracts through paper chromatography, thin layer chromatography, column chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), high pressure liquid chromatography and spectral analysis. GC-Mass, ultraviolet, hydrogen and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, electron ionization-mass spectrometry, heteronuclear multiple bond correlation and heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation were carried out.
Results:
Results showed that different extracts possess promising antioxidant effect and significant anti-inflammatory activity with variable degrees. The results of the phytochemical investigation of the bioactive extracts revealed the presence of volatile substances, lipoidal matter, α-tocopherol, free sugars, polysaccharides and flavonoidal compounds.
Conclusions:
B. capitata leaf extracts were shown to possess variable antioxidant effect, the most promising was methanol extract. Both polar and non polar extracts were proved to have anti-inflammatory activity, the non polar extract was superior in this respect. The bioactivity of the extracts was ascribed to the presence of flavonoids, sterols and α-tocopherol.
