Antioxidant, Larvicidal, and Cytotoxic Studies on Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Becherer

In Vitro Toxicity, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antidiabetic Potential of Sphaerostephanos unitus (L.) Holttum

Pteridophytes have been widely used in several systems of medicine. Several reports have increasingly assessed their bioactive effects, but for Sphaerostephanos unitus (L.) Holttum, only its antibacterial potential has been assessed. In this sense, the present study was carried out to reveal the phytochemical profile and to determine the toxicity, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory potential of S. unitus. Brine shrimp lethality, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, phosphomolybdenum assay, superoxide radical scavenging activity, 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay (ABTS), and in vitro α-amylase inhibitory and membrane stabilization assays were applied. S. unitus extract toxicity showed variable mortality percentages, with LC50 values ranging from 4 to 30 mg/mL. DPPH radical scavenging effects of S. unitus extracts were as follows: methanol > acetone > petroleum ether > chloroform. S. unitus acetone extract displayed the strongest phosphomolybdenum reduction (10 ± 2 mg Ascorbic Acid Equivalent/g). The studied extracts also revealed efficient, superoxide scavenging effects in a dose-dependent manner. In S. unitus, the highest ABTS radical scavenging rate was observed in the chloroform extract (3000 ± 40 µmol/g). The S. unitus anti-inflammatory effect was as follows: petroleum ether > chloroform > methanol > acetone. In S. unitus extract, the highest percentage of α-amylase activity (80%) was observed for the petroleum ether extract (25 µg/mL). Faced with these findings, further studies should be performed to isolate and identify the S. unitus compounds responsible for their antioxidant, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Phytochemical Profile of Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm. f.) Becherer Using HPTLC

The present study was aimed to validate the phenolic, flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins profile of Aspleniuma ethiopicum (Burm. f.) Becherer methanolic extracts using HPTLC (High-performance thin-layer chromatography). The chromatographic separation was performed using the standard method. The separation methodology was optimized and phytoconstituents of A. aethiopicum methanolic extracts were separated. The methanolic extract of A. aethiopicum showed several bands identified as known phenolic compounds. The obtained flavonoids profiles were identified. HPTLC alkaloids profile of A. aethiopicum revealed 11 types of alkaloids. The tannin profile of methanolic extracts of A. aethiopicum demonstrated 11 different types of tannins. The observed profiles will be used as phytomarker to identify the chemical constituents of A. aethiopicum methanolic extracts. These profiles will act as a fingerprint of A. aethiopicum and help us to distinguish from its adulterants. The observed profile will help us to identify the crude drugs and improve the therapeutic potentials of A. aethiopicum.