Phytochemical constituents and antioxidant activity of Echinops albicaulis

Two thiophenes; 5-(3-buten-1-ynyl)-2,2'-bithiophene (2) and α-tertthienyl (9), two alkaloids; echinopsine (10) and echinorine (11), three flavonoids; genkwanin (5), apigenin (6), and rutin (7), two triterpenoids; lupeol acetate (1) and lupeol linoleate (4), together with 2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-2,6,10-triene (4) and β-sitosterol glucoside (8) were isolated from the aerial parts of Echinops albicaulis. Antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiprotozoal activities were evaluated. E. albicaulis aqueous methanolic extract (50, 10, and 1 mg/mL) showed significant antioxidant activity comparable to the potent antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine, moreover, the aqueous methanolic extract (1 mg/mL) significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species in active cell cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells under oxidative stress more than the reference antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine. None of the isolated compounds showed antimicrobial or antiprotozoal activities at concentration up to 20 μg/mL.